Guwahati, June 26
Assam’s smallest national park, the Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park spread over 78.81 square km, has recorded an impressive increase in its big cat population, with 24 Royal Bengal Tigers found to roar in the protected area.

The latest census figure indicates an increase of 17 tigers in the park since 2008. During the period, 10 tigers also perished for various reasons. With this, the park’s tiger density has increased to 25.24, which may well be the highest in the country.

The census was carried out using the camera trap method by the Assam Forest Department and ‘Aaranyak’, a biodiversity conservation organisation in the North-East, during January-February this year. A forest department source said of the 24 tigers camera trapped in the park, three were male, 16 female and four cubs. The sex of one of the tigers was not yet identified.

The increase in the number of tigers in Orang Park is significant in view of the raging man-elephant conflict in the area where fringe villagers often resort to tiger poisoning to safeguard their cattle. Increase in tiger population in such a small protected area often causes tigers to stray out of the park and come in contact with human beings living in fringe areas. A team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) visited the park in June to assess the ground situation.