The Sundarbans National Park

The Sundarbans National Park located in West Bengal, India was a declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 and is most famous for being the indigenous home to the renowned Royal Bengal Tigers. It derives its name from the Sundari trees that are the exquisite mangrove species found here. It has the largest area of mangrove forest in the world and is also the only one that is inhabited by the tigers. While the tigers are labelled as “man-eaters” due to their frequent interactions with the local, they have majorly adapted an amphibious lifestyle of swimming great distances and feeding fishes, crabs and other water lizards. In addition to tigers, the reserve has fishing cat, spotted deer, rhesus monkey and wild pigs. The Bio reserve is also home to several endangered species like the River Terrapin, Horseshoe Crabs, Olive Ridley turtles, Hawksbill turtles and Ganges River Dolphins. Serbian ducks, salt-water crocodiles and the large varieties of migratory birds are also a major attraction of the site. The islands are of great economic importance as a they act as a storm barrier, a shore stabilizer, an excellent buildup for nutrients and sediments and a prominent source of wood and other natural resources. In addition, there are a wide variety of aquatic, benthic and terrestrial organisms. It also serves the important ecological favors like nursery functions and gene-pool protection. The forests in Sundarbans are the last remaining strands of the vast jungles which once covered the Gangetic plains. There are over 78 varieties of mangroves found in the land. The present Sundarbans National Park was declared as the core area of Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977. On 4 May 1984 it was declared a National Park. It is also considered as a World Network of Biosphere Reserve (Man and Biosphere Reserve) from 1989. The Sundarbans have an estimated population of more than 400 Royal Bengal Tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer.

The Sundarbans National Park and Tiger Reserve is located in the state of West Bengal in India. It is part of the Sundarbans on the delta formed by three rivers: The Ganga, The Brahmaputra and The Meghna and is adjacent to the Sundarbans Reserve Forest in Bangladesh. The site covers an area of 1330.1 square kilometers in India alone, and a vast 10,000 square kilometers area of landmass and water bodies in the total of India and Bangladesh combined. The park constitutes 54 small islands and is crisscrossed by several tributaries of the Ganges. Sundarbans are accessible only by riverine waterways. From Canning, the nearest town located 48 kilometers away, there are road transport to Namkhana, Raidighi, Sonakhali and Najat from where motor launch services are available to Sundarbans. The Sundarbans are directly linked from railways and roadway from the state capital Kolkata. Kolkata, located 110 kilometers away, has several public transport facilities like state buses to reach Canning, through the Basanti Highway. The nearest railway hub is the Canning Railway Station and the major is the Sealdah Railway Station, a sub-part of the Howrah Junction. It is the prime junction in the North-East railway zone and has several trains reaching from all the parts of the country. Thereon, one can reach Canning from the local trains. The nearest airport is the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport at Dumdum in Kolkata, located 112 kilometers.

The summer season in the Sundarbans National Park is extremely hot and uncomfortable. The temperature is very high during the daytime, ranging as high as 45 ̊C, making the safari a very unbearable experience. However, those interested in photography would prefer this time. The monsoons though introduce lush greenery views, experience heavy downpour and the water level rises and flows into the forests, making travelling and safari a bit risky. The temperature drops between 25 to 35 ̊C. The best season to visit the park, henceforth, is the months from October to March. The winter season at the reserve is mild, and the view very panoramic due the heavy rainfall that had just passed away. It is also the best time to witness the wildlife of the site.

Being a forest with only water-based connectivity to the outer world, the Boat Safari is the only way to explore the park. The boats and small ships are only medium of transport at the reserve and are registered with the Tourism Department of the West Bengal Government. The Gokhali Port is the location from where the boat safaris are started. The boats are hired on the basis of the duration of the Safari. The Authority allows entry permit for a few hours to a maximum of one week, so boats or ships are assigned accordingly. These boats are specifically designed for the purpose of sightseeing, and are of two kinds, air conditioned and non-air conditioned. They range from the four seater small boats to forty seater small ships to cater the needs as required. The safari boats for longer duration are also equipped with a kitchen with staffs, sleeping beds, and sitting chairs on the deck. These boats also have an on-board washroom facility. The Boat Safari at the Sundarbans National Park remains open all around the year. However, it is always advised to avoid this safari during the monsoon months as the water levels in the area is very high. The Safari operates from early morning (08:30 am) to the dusk time (4:00 pm). No boat is allowed inside the Sundarbans after 06:30 pm.

The Sundarbans National Park and Tiger Reserve remains majorly cut-off from the modern world, except for the villages and locals nearby. The land that acted as a shelter for the refugees in 13th century is today declared as a World Heritage Center and is the most renowned place for tiger conservation under the Tiger Project. However, it has a crucial future challenge that is being tackled: the man-tiger conflict. Sundarbans tigers hunt humans, and it is estimated that over a thousand of the local people have been killed by tigers over the past four decades. However, due to the control of authorities, the number of casualties has been reduced from 40 to 10 per year. In addition, the geographical topography with harsh landforms crisscrossed by several rivers and their tributaries enables poaching and other illegal activities. However, tourism has ever flourished in the land, with adequate safety measures for the visitors. So, do not let the incidents intimidate your plans to visit the area, for the natural jewel it has to offer is rare. The serene and quiet the site surrounds itself with is soothing to the souls caught in the busy, noisy lifestyle. And it offers a sense of thrill and adventure in the very fact that those big cats and salt water crocodile might be watching every move you make, even without you being aware of their presence.