Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve wins International Ranger Award, 2022

OUR CORRESPONDENT

MANGALDAI: Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve (ONPTR) in the Darrang district has been awarded the International Ranger Award, 2022. This announcement was made in the ceremonial award function held in Kigali city in Rwanda of East Africa, organized jointly by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) on Wednesday evening.

ONPTR is the only winner from India to find its place among 12 winners from the four continents of the world. The award carries a citation and cash prize of 10,000 US dollars.

The other winners of IUCN-WCPA International Ranger Awards are Masungi-Bayog Ranger Team (Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape, Philippines, Tiger Protection and Conservation Unit of Kerinci Seblat National Park, Indonesia, Jorge Banegas Franco of De Otuquis National Park and Integrated Management Natural Area of Bolivia, Hector Luis Espinoza Acevedo of Nicaragua, Felipe Otoniel Angel of Mexico, Ben Yuddiy Brown of Pila Nature reserve, Australia, Anti Poaching Tracking Specialists K9 Unit of Save Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe, Ali Hasan Ali of Bura East Conservancy, Kenya, Yyondji Community Eco-Guards of Congo, Popote Ole Sapulai of Kiman Sanctuary of Kenya and Nyaradzo Auxillia Hoto of Wildlife Management Areas of the Lower Zambezi, Zimbabwe. Chairman of IUCN World Commission on Protected Areas, Dr Madhu Rao and president of the International Ranger Federation, Chris Galliers attended the function as the chief guest.

"This achievement will surely be written in golden letters in the history of Orang National Park and Tiger Reserve," said a highly overwhelmed Field Director of ONPTR-cum-DFO of Mangaldai Wildlife Division, Pradipta Baruah while talking to The Sentinel immediately after the announcement of the award. He also informed that a team of 15 front line staff has been identified for the award for their outstanding hard work in safely bringing back strayed tigers from thickly populated residential areas adjoining the forest and also for maintaining a cordial relationship with the affected villagers. He also recalled an incident in between November 25 and November 28 of 2021 where the frontline staff caged a tiger following several attempts after the big cat created a tense situation in Kacharibheti village adjacent to the Park, causing injury to a villager and killing several livestock.

In the function, seven individual Rangers and three Ranger teams from 10 countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Australia were recognized for going beyond the call of duty to protect the wildlife and its habitats and to support the local communities. Two winners received special awards for Rangers working in the areas where tigers are present.

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