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Sunderbans Landscape |
The Sunderbans parks are covered in mangrove forests of which there are three main zones, classified by the level of salinity in the soil and water. Fishing, timber extraction and honey collection are the main human activities allowed within the Sunderbans. The four Sunderbans national parks have been lumped together as they all share common features of the estuarine mangrove ecosystem.
The main attraction of the Sunderbans is the Tiger, of which the delta harbours the largest single population in the world, estimated at about 400 . The animals inhabiting this mangrove wilderness have become adept at living a semi-aquatic lifestyle and have also gained a reputation for aggression, attacking the honeycollectors and fisherman entering their domain. Despite their relatively large numbers, the Sundaban Tigers are not easy to find and mostly nocturnal in habits resting up during the heat of the day.
The mangroves of the Sunderbans National Parks also provide cover for large reptiles such as the Monitor Lizard, Estuarine Crocodile and the Olive Ridley Turtle, the latter the subject of a conservation programme in the Indian park. Tiger sightings are rare , but tourists to the Sunderbans get to see and experience a unique and severely threatened aquatic habitat.
