Bovine threat to national park greens

Bovine threat to national park greens
OUR CORRESPONDENT
Kokrajhar

Jan. 22: The frown on the faces of the forest rangers says it all — Orang National Park is fighting a losing battle against encroachment.

Residents of villages in the vicinity of the park routinely herd their cattle into the core area of the sanctuary, destroying the grasslands that sustain wildlife.

The proliferation of squatters, most of them suspected to be illegal migrants from Bangladesh, has compounded the problem.

“But cattle from nearby villages are our biggest problem. They are destroying the grasslands that are the main source of food for the rhinos and other herbivorous animals,” a forest department official said.

Mimosa is another threat to the grasslands.

Spread across 78.80 square km, Orang National Park is in the easternmost part of Bodoland with the Brahmaputra girdling it in the south. It was declared a game reserve in 1915, notified as a wildlife sanctuary in 1985 and upgraded to the status of a national park in 1999.

The park is home to 68 rhinos, over 20 Royal Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris), Asiatic elephants, hog deer, wild boar, civet, leopard, hispid hare, porcupine and other animals.

With a little bit of luck, a visitor can expect to see the endangered Bengal florican (houbaropsis bengalensis) and different species of birds, reptiles and butterflies during a safari.

The park has a number of wetlands, including 26 manmade ponds and 12 beels (lakes).

The Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), which administers four districts, recently announced a financial package for the development of infrastructure at the park. The plan includes eco-friendly camps for tourists.

Kampha Borgoyari, deputy chief of the BTC, described Orang National Park as a “prized possession” comparable with the more famous Manas National Park.

Borgoyari, who is in charge of the department of forests, environment and tourism in the BTC, said the council was planning a slew of measures to develop the park.

The BTC has already made arrangements for elephant safaris. A watchtower has been built to help tourists spot the Royal Bengal tiger.

The park has a forest bungalow at Satsimalu.