Sunderbans Sightseeing - Tiger Reserve

The Sunderbans Tiger Reserve is considered to be one of the top ten wildlife destinations in India. Literally meaning "beautiful jungle" in Bengali, the Sunderbans ecosystem is the world’s largest delta and mangrove swamp. 

The Tiger Reserve lies at the confluence of the rivers Ganga, Brahmaputra and Meghna and spreads across 2,585 sq. km. It is the largest estuarine sanctuary in the world, and home to some of India’s most interesting wildlife.

The littoral forests of the Sunderbans are one of the few ecological habitats in the world suitable for the Royal Bengal Tiger. The tidal forms and mangrove forests here provide ideal habitat for several species of aquatic and semi-aquatic animals that inhabit these forests. It is home to an enchanting variety of wildlife including the spotted deer, wild pigs, monkeys, herons, kingfishers, white-bellied eagles and about 270 Royal Bengal Tigers.

The tigers at the Tiger Reserve are known to be mostly man-eaters. The uniqueness of the habitat and the lack of suitable prey seem to have contributed to this behavioral trait of Sunderbans tiger. The man-eating trait is considered to have been hereditarily acquired over a period of generations in the process of consumption of saline water. A posse of policemen accompanies all visitors who venture into these 'beautiful forests’.

A visit to the Tiger Reserve is an exhilarating experience and if you are lucky, you might actually get to shoot one with your camera lens.