Sunderbans and its Tigers

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South of Kolkata, the Hooghly fringes one of the worlds largest estuarine deltas, the Sunderbans. Sunderbans mean beautiful forests. These forests are beautiful indeed. The 10,000 square kilometer expanse of marsh land, mangrove swamp and islets formed by silt swept down from the Himalayas.
Its remote nature has been so designed as to make place for reserving the regions abundant wildlife which include saltwater crocodiles, gangetic dolphins, otters and the worlds largest population of tigers. This beautiful forest lies in the Ganges Delta, stretching east from the mouth of Hooghly to Bangladesh.

The Sunderbans are home to legendary Royal Bengal Tiger, a ferocious man eater. This man eater has adaptive well to this watery environment, and swims from one island to another covering at least 40 kms per day. Other wildlife which love this place are sea turtles, wild boar, spotted deer, olive ridley, sharks. Mingling with these purely wild animals is a population of half a million human beings most of whom are honey collectors, wood cutters and fisher folk. All of then worship the forest Goddess, Banbini and her Muslim Consort, Dakshin Rai.

The main Camp of Sunderbans Tiger Reserve is sealed off from the Jungle by wire fencing. If you want to stay in Sunderbans then you have to stay in the Sajnekhali Forest Lodge. The wild cats are known to often cross the wires, its also one of the reasons people are not allowed outside in the night. All transport within the forest is by boat. So if you want to see places inside the Sunderbans then you have to hire a boat ( Rs 1500/- for the entire day).

Getting to Sunderbans Tiger Reserve is a laborious process. First, you need to take a special permit from the West Bengal Tourist Office in BBD Bagh East. It is here itself you can book a place in Sajnekhali or sign up a two days tour by bus and launch. The accommodation can be Non A.C. Or Air Conditioned as per your choice. To go by bus catch from Babu Ghat to Basanti ( beginning from 7 : a.m.; every three hour). From Basanti, you cross by ferry to Gosaba, an hour long trip through the Delta. After an hour you will reach Sajnekhali, which has a Govt. Guest House and a Forest Department Complex. From here its a six kilometer ride by ricksahw to Project Tiger Complex. Here you can unpack at Tourist Lodge to see the cat on prawl.....

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