A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of Wildlife Science has revealed that Orang National Park hosts an extraordinary density of 121.58 endangered hog deer per square kilometer within its grassland habitats.
Conducted jointly by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and the Assam Forest Department, researchers deployed 123 camera traps alongside 120 kilometers of line-transect surveys to assess the population.
The stunning density is significantly higher than metrics recorded across other key ranges in India, Nepal, and Cambodia, establishing the park as a global stronghold for the species.
Wildlife biologists attribute this thriving population to robust protection and low hunting pressure within the park borders. However, the study warns that long-term survival remains fragile.
Grasslands currently cover 44% to 67% of the park, but woodland encroachment threatens to shrink these alluvial floodplains.
Experts emphasize that active habitat management is vital to prevent the deer from being pushed into less productive terrains.
Often called "Mini Kaziranga" due to its landscape of tall alluvial grasses, Orang National Park continues to solidify its role as a critical ecological refuge along the Brahmaputra floodplain.