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Sundarban Wild Life Park
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Sundarbans is located south of Kolkata and spreads over 54 islands and stretches to Bangladesh. Sundarbans is the world's largest delta, which is formed by the merger of three rivers-the Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna. The Sundarbans wildlife sanctuary spread over an area of 2,585 square kilometres. The area came under the Project Tiger in 1973 and later the core area of 1,330 square kilometres was declared the national park and world heritage site. |
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Popular for its tigers, Sundarbans is equally known for its large mangrove forests. The Sundarbans Wildlife Sanctuary is home to a number of wild animals like spotted deer, monkeys, wild pigs, herons, white bellied eagles and kingfishers. According to one estimate the Sundarbans is home to some 270 Royal Bengal Tigers.
Sundarbans is also home to a number of estuarine crocodiles, olive Ridley turtles, Ganges dolphins and fish.
Sundarbans is an ideal place for ornithologists and bird watchers. Sajnekhali is a perfect place to enjoy bird watching. There are a number of water birds in the Sajnekhali bird sanctuary. Some of the birds are Asian openbill stork, greater adjutant stork, black-necked stork, white-collared kingfisher, white ibis, swamp francolin, black-capped kingfisher and brown-winged kingfisher. The area has number of watchtowers, which are ideal points to enjoy bird watching.
Netidhopan is another exciting area in the Sundarbans Wildlife Sanctuary. The area is famous for barking deer and Olive Ridley Turtles. Kanak is the area where you can watch Olive Ridley Turtles, which is breeding place for turtles. |
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The vast swampy delta of the two great Indian rivers, the Brahmaputra and the Ganga, extends over a vast area. Mangrove forests, swamps and forested islands are interwoven with a network of small rivers and rivulets. The Sundarbans National Park, covering about 1330.10 sq. km., forms the core of this area. This mostly estuarine mangrove forest is the habitat of nearly 200 Royal Bengal tigers. Bangladesh lies to the east of the Park and it is estimated that the combined population of tigers in the region could well be about 400 in number.
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Adapting itself to the saline and watery environment, the tigers at the Park are good swimmers and practically amphibious! Traversing the mangroves by motor launch is quite an experience, for the area is completely unspoilt and very different from the more conventional wildlife park.
Fauna:
The tiger reserve in Sunderban is a major tourist attraction. The number of tigers in this reserve is among the highest in the country. According to a census conducted in the 1980, the population of tiger here was close to 400. Besides the tiger, other forms of wildlife also inhabit these mangrove forests. The Gangetic dolphin, little porpoise, fishing cat, Indian fox, jungle cat, small Indian civet, common grey mongoose, spotted deer, wild pig, Indian flying fox, rhesus monkey and pangolin are some of the residents here.
The bird sanctuary at Sajnekhali contains a wide variety of birds. The most noteworthy among them are spotted billed pelican, cotton teal, herring gull, Caspian tern, grey heron, large egret, night heron, open-billed stork, white ibis, common kingfisher, brahmini kite and paradise flycatcher. The area is also important for waders, including the Asian dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), a rare winter migrant.
Geographical Details:
- Longitude - 30° 24' - 30° 28' N
- Latitude - 77° 40' - 77° 44' E
- Altitudinal Range - 0-10 m above sea level
- Average Rainfall - 175 cm
- Temperature - Min. 2° C, Max. 38° C
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