Towards the south of Calcutta, the rivers Ganga and Hoogly divide itself into many distibutaries. The speed of water is reduced and the river deposits its silt just as it is about to merge into the sea. In due course, the accumulated silt takes the shape of islands on the mouth of the rivers. These are the famous Gangetic deltas. They provide an ideal atmosphere and environment for the Sundari trees to grow. Spread over an area of almost 10,000 sq kms (now shared by Bangladesh and India), the Sunderbans are home to many exquisite animals and birds. The Indian Government has declared this 1330 sq kms of area as a national park.
The pristine beauty of nature is made alive by the variety of the flora and fauna. The Fleming Red flowers of Genwa, the crab like red flower of Khalsi add to the dazzling display of nature. This 'fairyland' is made fascinating by the millions of micro organism found on the fringes of the islands.
The Sundarbans delta is the largest mangrove forest in the world. It lies at the mouth of the Ganges and is spread across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. Interestingly, the Bangladesh and Indian portion of the jungle are listed in the UNESCO world heritage list separately as the Sundarbans and Sundarbans National Park respectively, though they are simply parts of the same forest. The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests, and presents an excellent example of ongoing ecological processes. The area is known for its wide range of fauna. The most famous among these are the maneating Bengal Tigers, but numerous species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes also inhabit it. It is estimated that there are now 400 Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted deer in the area.
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The Flora
The main forest cover in the Sunderbans comprises of estuarine mangrove forests intermixed by swamp and littoral forests. There is mangrove scrub forest, salt water mixed forest, brackish water mixed forest and alluvial grasslands. Due to the dense and huge forest reserve, Sundarbans has also been classified as a World Biosphere Reserve. Some of the more commonly found plants and trees in the park are Genwa, Dhundal, Passur, Garjan, Kankra and Goran.
The Fauna
The Sundarbans forest is home to more than 700 tigers. The Royal Bengal Tigers have adapted themselves very well to the saline and aqua surroundings and are extremely good swimmers.
The animal number of the Sundarbans is quite varied keeping it's climatic conditions in mind. Apart from the Royal Bengal Tiger, Sundarbans houses - Fishing Cats, Macaques, Wild Boar, Common Grey Mongoose, Fox, Jungle Cat, Flying Fox, Pangolin, Chitals, etc.
The Avifauna
Due to climatic conditions popular at the park, it creates an ideal habitat for the native as well as migratory birds of a numerous variety. Some of the more popular birds found in this region are - Open Billed Storks, White Ibis, Water Hens, Coots, Pheasant Tailed Jacanas, Pariah Kites, Brahminy Kites, Marsh Harriers, Swamp Partridges, Red Jungle Fowls, Spotted Doves, Common Mynahs, Jungle Crows, Jungle Babblers, Cotton Teals, Herring Gulls, Caspian Terns, Gray Herons, Brahminy Ducks, Spotted Billed Pelicans, Large Egrets, Night Herons, Common Snipes, Wood Sandpipers, Green Pigeons, Rose Ringed Parakeets, Paradise Flycatchers, Cormorants, Fishing Eagles, White Bellied Sea Eagles, Seaguls, Common Kingfishers, Peregrine falcons, Woodpeckers, Whimprels, Black-Tailed Godwits, Little Stints, Eastern Knots, Curlews, Golden Plovers, Pintails, White Eyed Pochards and Whistling Teals.
Aquafauna
Some of the fish and amphibians found in the parks are Saw Fish, Butter Fish, Electric Rays, Silver Carp, Star Fish, Common Carp, Crabs, Prawn, Shrimps, gangetic Dolphins, Skipping Frogs, Common Toads and Tree Frogs.
The Reptiles
The Sundarbans National Park has an excellent number of reptiles that are seen within its area. Some of the most seen are - Olive Ridley Turtles, Sea Snakes, Dog Faced Water Snakes, Green Turtles, Estuarine Crocodiles, Chameleons, King Cobras, Salvator Lizards, Hard Shelled Batgun Terrapins, Russels Vipers, Mouse Ghekos, Monitor Lizards, Curviers, Hawks Bill Turtles, Pythons, Common Kraits, Chequered Killbacks and rat Snakes .
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