The Mystery Of Sunderban

Sundarbans, the biggest, contiguous, and most biodiverse mangrove forest in the world, is a complex riverine area stretching between India and Bangladesh, constituting a major part of the deltaic region formed by the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers.

- Diptarka Ghosh

In India, Sundarbans is the only forest designated a wildlife sanctuary, national park, tiger reserve, biosphere reserve, RAMSAR wetland, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This tropical estuarine swamp forest is intersected by a labyrinthine network of innumerable rivers, rivulets, and creeks encompassing 102 islands that are home to several threatened species and 4 million toiling humans, who live in constant danger from the forces of nature. Nevertheless, Sundarbans is the only exclusive mangrove habitat home to the Royal Bengal Tiger and the single largest continuous habitat of the tiger anywhere in Asia. Tigers are equally feared and revered here, and therefore myths regarding their unusual behavior have given Sundarbans a mysterious aura.

Biodiversity Of Sundarbans

Sundarbans is home to diverse flora and fauna, which includes both terrestrial and aquatic species. The tidal impact and constant erosion encourage nutrient circulation, metabolism of waste products, and the benthic flora to create a dynamic and unique ecosystem.

The credit for this unique ecosystem is due to the critical balance between the freshwater flows of the GangesBrahmaputra rivers and their tributaries with the saline waters of the Bay of Bengal. Mangrove plants that grow here in the inter-tidal zones possess various special adaptations like stilt roots, pneumatophores, succulent leaves, viviparous germination, and long cylindrical fruits. A total of 65 floral species have been recognized in the mangrove forests of the Indian Sundarbans. Besides mangroves, the forest is home to 24 shrimp species, 14 crab species, 43 mollusks species, 210 white fish species, 260 avian species, 59 reptilian species, and 49 mammalian species. As per the Status of Tigers In India – 2022, in Indian Sundarbans, 100 unique tigers have been photo captured.