I recently went on a Jeep Safari at Orang National Park. I had visited Orang a couple of times before, but had never taken a trip through its wilderness. The opportunity arose one winter morning in December this year.

One of the main reasons for visiting Orang National Park is that it has one of the highest densities of Royal Bengal Tigers in India. I have never seen a Tiger in the wild, but I have written about the elusive beast multiple times. A trip to Orang represented an opportunity to spot the magnificent animal in its natural habitat.

It was also in Orang that a Tiger killed a forest guard, Mr. Dhanmani Deka, patrolling the Bilapar Forest Camp in August this year. I have written about the incident in my blog, which you can check out here.

Early Morning Jeep Safari

While we initially wanted to catch the first safari of the day, it turned out to be an extremely foggy morning. As such, we had a delayed start to the day and reached the gates of Orang National Park at around nine in the morning.

The tickets are reasonably priced. We paid 635/- for four people, including my seven-year-old son. If you have a digital camera or a GoPro, you will have to pay 50/- extra. Interestingly, you have to pay an additional 1500/- for the vehicle, which is a open Maruti Suzuki Gypsy.

Nevertheless, the formalities were completed in no time. We were the only visitors that morning, so perhaps that helped as well. There's a restaurant available if you want to indulge in some midmorning snacks. It is advisable to place your order before you go for your Jeep Safari to ensure that the food is ready while you return

The History of Orang National Park

Orang National Park was apparently home to local tribes until 1900. However, the area was abandoned following an epidemic at the start of last century.

The British Government declared the forest a protected place in 1919, when it was named Orang Game Reserve. It remained under the control of the State Government, as part of Project Tiger until 1985.

In 1985, the forest was declare a Wildlife Sanctuary, with stricter restrictions applied and more efforts put into its preservation. The forest was briefly renamed as the Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary in 1992, but the decision reversed under public pressure.

Orang was declared a National Park in 1999. It covers an area of 78.81 square kilometers and falls under the Darrang and Sonitpur Districts of Assam.

A ride through the Jungles

Orang National Park is home to the one-horned Rhinoceros, Asiatic Elephants, pygmy hog, wild boar, deers, and the ever-elusive Royal Bengal Tiger. A ride through the forest, as such, has endless possibilities.

It is with high hopes that we started our ride. Our guide, Mr. Mustafizur, was a good-natured, friendly man, with an extensive knowledge of the forests. Meanwhile, the guard assigned to our car was a quiet lady, whose presence, however, assured us that we were in safe hands.

Mustafizur started the tour by remembering his colleague Mr. Dhanmani Deka, quietly reminding us that there's more than what meets the eye in the jungles. We were now in unchartered territories, we were in the wild and we had to respect the ways of the wild.

The Gypsy moved on, with Mustafizur expert scanning the surroundings while driving the car. A few minutes later, he pulled up by the side of a tree that bore the claw marks of a tiger. The beast had sharpened his arsenal before the hunt, we were told.

We were, man and beast, separated by time. We had crossed the same paths, at different times, and it is perhaps our misfortune, or perhaps our fortune, that our paths didn't cross when the Tiger was out looking for food.

Two giants in a swamp

A few minutes into the ride, we spotted an elephant and a Rhinoceros at the far end of a swamp. They were so far away we could barely spot them, but in the wild, every animal counts.

We waited for a while for them to come closer, so that we could click a decent picture. Unfortunately, lady luck wasn't on our side and all we had as proof of their presence was a picture where they were barely visible.

We proceeded on our trip, turning with the road that ran through the forest. Sometimes, the jungle breathed down our necks, sending our senses into overdrive. Branches knocked on our vehicle, leaves brushed into us. We caught sight of deers, and various birds, but the elusive Tiger eluded us.

And then, all of a sudden, as the Gypsy took a turn, we found an elephant standing ahead, blocking the narrow road. Mustafizur's eyes stayed fixated on the gigantic beast, while the guard had her hand on her rifle.

There was tension in the air for a brief moment.

I have encountered elephants in the wild on multiple occasions in my life. But never does the gentle giant cease to amaze me.

While they are known to be patient, elephants can be unpredictable, especially a lone elephant in the wild. As such, it is always important to approach them with caution.

The elephant watched us for a while, before Mustafizur coaxed it to leave the road and let us pass by revving the engine. It was a close call.

A Watchtower in the Middle of the Wilderness

After a long drive through the wilderness, we came across a watch tower in front of a swamp. The horizon opened up ahead of us, basking in the warm winter sun.

It was a beautiful morning.

We walked up the ramp to the top of the tower and spotted quite a few Deers across the water body, gazing. All of a sudden, the herd sprinted away, lifting our sprits!

A figure appeared to stalk them. Was it a Tiger? The whole scene unfolded so far away that it was difficult to ascertain, even for the experienced Mustafizur.

How we missed a binocular that morning! Mustafizur, however, was quick to point out that there were other Deers grazing around and the arrival of a carnivore would have caused all of them to elope.

We stayed at the top for a while, taking in the aura of a winter morning deep in the wilderness. It would be the closest we would come to spotting a tiger.

The Gypsy soon took us back to civilization, traversing the forest through the rugged road, passing herds of Deers, and another Elephant on the way. Our trip soon came to an end, and we remained unsuccessful in our pursuit of the Royal Bengal Tiger.

A wonderful day in Orang

While the Royal Bengal Tiger continued to elude us, it is safe to say that Orang didn't disappoint us. When you travel to the wild, it is important to do so with a clear head, without expectations.

You are in the animals' backyard. You are in their home, in their territory. And you do not decide whether they show themselves.

While many will label animal citings as luck, I like to look at them as the perks of a walk through the wilderness. There are so many things to appreciate other than animals in the wild. And this is what we took back from Orang. Beautiful Jungle. Informative conversation. And renewed hunger for more such trips into the wild.

Watch: A video of our Orang Trip

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