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Sundarbans
The evergreen abode of the world’s most
luxuriant mangrove vegetation in the
Sundarbans is also the home of the biggest
colony of Royal Bengal Tigers. The region
draws its name from the Sundari tree
that was once found in abundance over almost
10,000 square kilometers. Area is now shared
between Bangladesh and India.
Within the Sundarbans, Project Tiger
was implemented in 1973 and later the
Sundarban Tiger Reserve was demarcated over
2,585 square kilometers. The core area of
1,330 square kilometers has been declared a
National park and has been chosen as World
Heritage Site. Presently numbering 287
(1984 census), the tiger in the Sundarbans
is the only one of its kind to live in
mangrove swamps. The face of the Sundarbans
charges dramatically with the diurnal tides.
The forests are in perpetual flux. At peak
of high tide, more than half the land is
submerged. The forest floor is revealed when
the water recedes.
Sundarbans is the natural habitat of a
number of wild animals, birds and reptiles.
The annual congregation of nesting birds
from July to September makes Sajnekhali
Bird Sanctuary an ornithologist’s
paradise. Birds like Plovers, Lap-wings,
Curlews, Whimbrels, Sandpipers etc. and
occasionally Pelicans appear in the
sanctuary. Moreover there are large Egrets,
Lesser Adjutants, Kingfishers, Cormorants,
Brahminy Kites etc.
Besides birds, there are Red
Fiddler Crabs, Mud Skipper Fish,
Hermit Crab and the Estuarine Crocodile.
There are the rare Horse Shoe Crab and the
Genetic Dolphins and the Black Finless
Porpoise. There are Fishing Cats, Jungle
Cats, Wild Boar, and Spotted Chital Deer.
There is an innumerable variety of reptiles
including the King Cobra, the Rock Python
and the Water Monitor. There are the very
rare Olive Ridley Turtles on Mechua Beach.
A Crocodile hatchery cum
Sanctuary has been set up
at Bhagabatpur. Both the West Bengal
Tourism Department and the West Bengal
Tourism Development Corporation organize
conducted tours to the Sundarbans by their
launches. Sundarbans can be approached by
riverine waterways only. Embarkation points
are Canning, Basanti or Sonakhali and Namkhana. Canning can be reached from
Calcutta by local trains from Sealdah
Station and all the points by regular bus
services from Esplande or Babughat.
Calcutta to Canning: 54 kilometers by train.
Calcutta to Basanti or Sonakhali: 100
kilometers by bus
Calcutta to Namkhana: 105 kilometers by bus
Sundarbans Tiger
Reserves
Start form Sonakhali or Basanti to Gosaba by
private mechanized boats, Gosaba to
Sajneskhali in the same manner, from Gosaba
island to Pakhiralay by cycle rickshaw
and Pakhiralay to Sajnekhali on the
opposite bank by mechanized boats. Private
launches are available for hire at Sonakhali
and Sajnekhali. Mechanized boats are
available at Sajnekhali. For foreign
tourists, a no-objection certificate from
the Secretary, Forests Department of West
Bengal is mandatory. For other areas of the
Sundarbans excluding Tiger Project Area and
Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary, prior permission
is required form the D.F.O. Calcutta - 27.
Jaldapara
The most well known of West Bengal’s
wild life sanctuaries is the Jaldapara
Wildlife sanctuary. It is one of the last
refuges in the world for the one-horned
rhino, an animal threatened with extinction.
At Jaldapara, the forest is mainly savannah.
Tourists may view wildlife from the back of
an elephant. Experienced scouts lead the
visitors to the exact spots in the forest
where a rhino, a tiger or a herd of deer may
have taken shelter on the day and at that
hour. The deer are varied - sambar, barking
deer, spotted deer and of course hogs deer.
There are also elephants, gaurs, pigs, and
reptiles
Mahananda Wild Life
Sanctuary
The sanctuary is situated at an hour’s
drive from Siliguri. Trekkers can have a
good measure of their stamina and strength
as they go along nature trails of Golaghat -
Latpancher - Sevoke exploring the wildness
in its varied mood and landscapes. These
trails span an altitudinal range between 200
to 1500 meters.
Buxa Tiger Reserve
This tiger reserve is close to the
sub-divisional township of Alipurduar, which
is again five hours travel from Siliguri.
Its exceptional diversity, from Bhutan and
Himalayan feature to Assam grassland form
its main attraction. A short trek is
possible, combining Buxa Duar (2700 ft.) and
Rupam Valley (4000 ft.) from Santrabari with
a distance of around 5 kilometers.
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