Sundarban Safari — Local services in Kolkata

The great rivers of Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna drain into the Bay of Bengal in the eastern part of India. A delta is formed at this place. It stretches from the River Baleswar in Bangladesh to the River Hooghly in West Bengal. That’s a huge stretch of land (more than ten thousand square kilometers) with mangrove forests, farmlands, mudflats and barren land. Many tidal streams cut through the delta. Four areas in the Sundarban are UNESCO World Heritage Sites! This is the meeting point of various rivers with the sea – a meeting point of fresh river water and the salt water of the Bay of Bengal.

What does the Sundarban hold?

There are 2 eco-regions here – the “Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests” and the “Sundarbans mangroves”. This is one of the 3 largest mangrove forests in the world. Lots of trees, lots of birds and animals, fish and most importantly, mystery and romance! The most abundant trees are the Sundri tree.

The origin of the name Sundarban for the forest

The name may have come from the Sundri tree there – “ban” means forest and hence Sundarban. Or maybe because of the fact that “Sundarban” means “beautiful forest” in Bangla, the local language. It could also be a common-usage of “Shomudrobon”, meaning “Sea forest” in Bangla. Or could it be from a tribe that lived here called “Chandra-bandhe”. Whatever the story, the name Sundarban is one that evokes curiosity isn’t it?

The history of the Sundarban

This forest has witnessed a lot of history. Right from the 2nd and 3rd century AD. Closer to our times, there are records of the Mughals leasing the forests out. In fact, many escaped to this forest to avoid the armies of the Mughal Emperor Akbar. Then came the Portuguese pirates and dacoits in the 17th century. The British got rights over the forest from the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II around the time of the Revolt of 1757.

This forest houses the Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) and other small cats like the Jungle cat, Fishing cat and Leopard cat. Strangely, the tigers here live and swim around. Their prey is typically, deer, boar and monkeys. There are an estimated 180 tigers here. And about 30,000 spotted deer. Many villagers live in and around the forest. They live off the forest and its produce – fish, honey, wood, etc. There is obviously some man-animal conflict with such close proximity… About 30-100 human lives are lost due to this every year.

The Birds of the Sundarban

Close to 300 species of birds, including many endemic species, make this their home. There are the endemic brown-winged kingfishers, the masked finfoots, ospreys, sea eagles and fish eagles… Not to mention, the ibis, the storks, water hens, kites, coots, pelicans, etc.

The Animals of the water

Again too many to name – from crocodiles to sawfish, various turtles and snakes from the King cobra to  vipers and pythons… Fish are aplenty from the eels to the shrimps, mudskippers  and even the...

The Sundarbans is a vast mangrove forest region located at the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers in the Bay of Bengal. It spans parts of India (West Bengal) and Bangladesh and is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet. Known for its unique landscape and rich biodiversity, the Sundarbans is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Key Features of the Sundarbans:

Mangrove Forests: The Sundarbans has the largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world. The mangroves play a critical role in protecting the coastline from erosion and storm surges, and they provide shelter for diverse species of flora and fauna.

Bengal Tigers: The Sundarbans is famous for its population of the Royal Bengal Tiger, which is adapted to this unique mangrove environment. It is the only mangrove habitat where tigers are found, and these tigers are known to be strong swimmers.

Biodiversity:

Fauna: Besides Bengal tigers, the region supports species like saltwater crocodiles, spotted deer, wild boars, various species of monkeys, and the Indian python. The aquatic life includes river dolphins, fish, and...

Not so good experience. I hade a thing expectation for sundarban. Bay be it will be my itinerarys fault. After a 2 hour of ride in the bod what I get was utter disappointment. The animals I only get to see was a 19 year and 12 year old tiger who is in a cage and a crocodile. I was very...