Sunderban National Park at
a Glance :
• State : West Bengal (India)
• Area : 2585 sq. kms. (Approx.)
• Temperature : Summer : Max: 42C, Min. 37C (Approx.)
; Winter : Max : 29C, Min. 9.2C (Approx.)
• Best Time to Visit : September to March. July to September
for Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary.
• Languages : Spoken Bengali, Hindi, English
• Annual Mean Rainfall : 1,108 mm (Canning) (Approx.)
About Sunderban National Park :
The vast swampy delta of the two great Indian rivers, the Brahmaputra and
the Ganga, extends over a vast area. Mangrove forests, swamps and forested
islands are interwoven with a network of small rivers and rivulets. The Sundarbans
National Park, covering about 1330.10 sq. km., forms the core of this area.
This mostly estuarine mangrove forest is the habitat of nearly 200 Royal Bengal
tigers. Bangladesh lies to the east of the Park and it is estimated that the
combined population of tigers in the region could well be about 400 in number.
Adapting itself to the saline and watery environment, the tigers at the Park
are good swimmers and practically amphibious! Traversing the mangroves by
motor launch is quite an experience, for the area is completely unspoilt and
very different from the more conventional wildlife park.
Flora in Sunderban National Park :
Fascinating life forms await you in this largest estuarine delta in the world,
Sunderbans. In April and May the flaming red leaves of the Genwa, edge the
emerald islands. The crab like red flowers of the Kankara and the yellow blooms
of Khalsi add to the dazzling display. As you penetrate into the forests of
Sundarbans, this fairyland unfolds its mysterious beauty.
Fauna in Sunderban National Park :
The animal population of the Sunderban National park is quite varied keeping
it's environment in mind. The Sunderban National Park mainly consists of various
mammels as that Royal Bengal Tigers (This Park is famous for Royal Bengal
Tiger), Fishing Cats, Macaques, Wild Boar, Common Grey Mongoose, Fox, Jungle
Cat, Flying Fox, Pangolin, Chitals, Turtles, and the worlds largest estuarine
Crocodiles. It is a said that a lot of the tigers due to the environmental
conditions and lack of prey species have turned man-eater. Therefore you should
not getting the chanse to take private boats where you are not meant to disembark.
Birds in Sunderban National Park :
Sunderban National Park is also the breeding ground of a large variety of
birds. Out here, you get to see heron, egret, cormorant, fishing eagle, white-bellied
sea eagle, seagull, tern and kingfisher. The migratory birds like whimprel,
black-tailed godwit, little stint, eastern knot, curlew, sandpiper, golden
plover, pintail, white-eyed pochard and whistling teal also flock this place.
The place is also home to the wide variety of aquatic and reptile life forms
that include Olive Ridley sea turtle, hardshelled batgur terrapin, pythons,
king cobra, chequered killback, monitor and lizards.
Places to Stay :
• Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge, Sunderban
• Sunderban Tiger Camp, Sunderban
How to Get There :
By Air : Phoolbagh, Pantnagar at a distance of 50 km is the
nearest airport. Delhi at a distance of 300 km is the nearest international
airport.
By Rail : Ramnagar is on the broad gauge track from where the
road transport options have to be availed to reach the park.
By Road : Dhikala is 300 km from Delhi, 145 km from Lucknow
and 51 km from Ramnagar. The route from Delhi spans Hapur-Murababad-Ramnagar.
The turn off is some 7 km beyond Muradabad to the left, marked by a small board.
The route from Lucknow spans Bareilly. Kichha. Rudrapur. Doraha. Kashipur.