The Orang National Park & Tiger Reserve, located in Assam, received the prestigious 2nd Annual IUCN WCPA International Ranger Award 2022.
The award, presented by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA), recognizes the efforts of those that go beyond the call of duty to protect the earth’s wild places and wildlife and to support local communities. In other words, the award recognizes the remarkable work of rangers in protected areas around the world.
Orang National Park & Tiger Reserve
Orang National park is the oldest game reserve in Assam on the northern bank of the river Brahmaputra in the Darrang and Sonitpur districts with an area of 78.80 sq. km. It is an important breeding ground for varieties of fishes.
Established as a sanctuary in 1985, it was declared a National Park on April 13, 1999. It is also known as the mini Kaziranga National Park (IUCN site) due to its similarity in the landscape that comprises of marshes, streams, and grasslands. The Park is home to the Great Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros and has a rich flora and fauna, including pigmy hog, elephants, wild buffalo, and tigers. In July 2021, India’s 14 Tiger Reserves received the CA|TS accreditation, including Orang in Assam.
International Ranger Awards
The International Ranger Awards were established with the support of the International Ranger Federation, Conservation Allies, Re:wild and the Global Tiger Initiative. It honours the courage and commitment of rangers. Each winner or winning team receives US$10,000 to support the protected and conserved areas where they work, and a custom uniform patch to signify their achievement.
Among the other winners of the Award included Masungi-Bayog Ranger Team (Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape, Philippines); Tiger Protection & Conservation Unit (Kerinci Seblat National Park, Indonesia); Jorge Banegas Franco (Parque Nacional y Área Natural de Manejo Integrado Pantanal de Otuquis, Bolivia); Hector Luis Espinoza Acevedo (Paso del Istmo Wildlife Corridor, La Flor Wildlife Refuge, Nicaragua) among others.