Orang National Park

Orang National Park is a protected area in Assam that stretches across the northern bank of the Brahmaputra and covers around 79 square kilometers (about 30 square miles). The area consists of open grasslands, wet marsh zones and dense forest sections that together form a habitat for large mammals and numerous bird species.

The British administration declared the area Orang Game Reserve in 1919 after indigenous tribes left the region due to an epidemic. The reserve later received official national park status in 1985 and became part of India's network of protected wilderness areas.

The park continues to carry its original name after local communities resisted a 1992 proposal to rename it Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary. This decision reflects the attachment of people in the region to the historical designation of the protected area.

The park entrance is accessible from Tezpur and Guwahati, with the nearest airport at Salonibari village roughly 55 kilometers (about 34 miles) away. Safaris typically take place in the early morning or late afternoon when wildlife is most active and temperatures are more comfortable.

The protected area is home to seven species of turtles, including Lissemys punctata and Kachuga tecta, along with python and cobra populations. This reptile diversity makes the park a significant site for species that have become rare in other parts of the subcontinent.

Location: Assam

Inception: 1999

GPS coordinates: 26.61000,92.36000

Latest update: December 14, 2025 19:41