Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

Today, the major dangers to wildlife come from global climatic change,unregulated hunting and poaching of wild animals for trade, pollution, over exploitation of natural resources and extensive deforestation to make room for the over expanding human population. Despite multiple challenges and demands on its resources, India’s efforts at preserving its wildlife are highly praiseworthy.

The densely forested wetlands of the Sundarbans, formed by the delta of the rivers Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna, constitute the largest river-mouth system in the world. The Sundarbans forest spreads approximately over 10,000 sq km across the Indian state of West Bengal and the neighbouring country Bangladesh, of which 40% lies in India, and the remaining 60% in Bangladesh, making it the largest block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest on Earth. It supports a large, biodiversity-rich ecosystem well known for its unique and rich variety of flora and fauna as well as the scenic landscapes. Parts of Sundarbans in the two countries are listed as World Heritage Sites by the UNESCO, in recognition of their high biodiversity and the occurrence of threatened species, underlining their importance as conservation landscapes. As the forest spreads over the lower Gangetic delta, it is flat and alluvial, and is intersected by several wide rivers and a number of winding creeks from north to south.

The Sundarbans takes its name from its most common mangrove tree, the ‘sundari’, a Bengali word for ‘beautiful’. But behind the beauty, this tangled mangrove forests on the Bay of Bengal is the kingdom of a creature rarely seen by humans− one of the most efficient predators, the legendary Royal Bengal tiger (Pantheratigris), the guardian of the Sundarbans. The Bengal tiger has an attractive flame colour, with stripes ranging from dark brown to black; the belly and the interior parts of the limbs are white, and the tail is orange with black rings. The tigers of Sundarbans are excellent swimmers and their prey mainly comprises deer, boars, monkeys, monitor lizards, birds, crabs and fish. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

Then comes the spotted deer or Chital deer (Axis axis), which are extensively seen in the Sundarbans and enhances its beauty to a great extent. Other mammals comprise of wild boars, porcupines and Rhesus macaque, which is one of the best-known species of Old World monkeys, having a wide distribution and large population across the area. Among the reptiles, the King cobra, the common cobra, Banded krait, Russell’s viper make up the community of venomous reptiles, while the python, Chequered keelback, Dhaman , Green whip snake, and several other species constitute the non-venomous snakes. Sundarbans also harbours a good number of rare and globally threatened animals including estuarine crocodile, common otter, fishing cat, water monitor, Gangetic dolphin, river terrapin, Snubfin dolphin, marine turtles like Olive Ridley, Green sea turtle, and Hawksbill turtle. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

There are about 248 bird species found in the Sundarbans including a large number of migratory birds from higher latitudes that visit the area in winter months. Among them some of the distinct ones are herons, egrets, storks, Green pigeons, sand pipers, spoonbills, darters, seagulls, partridges, great variety of wild geese and ducks. These indicate that the Sundarban Reserved Forest is a natural biodiversity hot spot. Besides sundari trees (Heritierafomes), the Sundarbans flora is characterised by the abundance of Gewa, Goran and Keora all of which occur prominently throughout the area.

There are about 248 bird species found in the Sundarbans including a large number of migratory birds from higher latitudes that visit the area in winter months. Among them some of the distinct ones are herons, egrets, storks, Green pigeons, sand pipers, spoonbills, darters, seagulls, partridges, great variety of wild geese and ducks. These indicate that the Sundarban Reserved Forest is a natural biodiversity hot spot. Besides sundari trees (Heritierafomes), the Sundarbans flora is characterised by the abundance of Gewa, Goran and Keora all of which occur prominently throughout the area. Honey bees (Apisdorsata) play a significant role in natural pollination and regeneration of mangroves. Moreover, they serve as a livelihood of the villagers. For generations, poor fishermen and villagers around Sundarbans have been collecting wild raw honey from honeycombs build inside the forest in large numbers from April to June every year. The honey gathering season brings lots of expectations in the villages of Sundarbans, as it provides people with much needed extra income. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

On average, the fishermen earn around Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 5,000 each during the season. But collecting honey is a risky business, since it often leads encountering the deadly Royal Bengal Tiger, which has the worst reputation as a man eater. The active delta of the Sundarbans is a network of rivers, creeks, estuaries, channels, mudflats, coastal dunes and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests that are continuously changing due to the impact of the ocean tides. The area encounters many cyclonic storms and in the coastal zones of West Bengal, the wind acts as a basic driving force for generating surface waves. According to researchers, this great kingdom of nature is under the severe threat of erosion and drowning due to sea level rise and increasing cyclonic activity. As per the reports of West Bengal University of Animal and Fishery Sciences, sea levels around the Indian subcontinent are rising at the rate of about 2.5 mm/year. But in case of Sundarbans, the relative sea level rise is higher than this which is due to the subsidence of land. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

With its typical vegetation and diverse wildlife, the Sundarbans has been a showpiece of nature. Its dynamic and vibrating ecosystem formed by interactions of land and water, is considered as one of the most productive wetlands on Earth. This vast greenery acts as a huge sink of unlimited capacity for absorbing CO2 and other pollutants from air and water which makes the surrounding environment free from pollution. These mangrove forests are a highly productive ecosystem and maintain a high standing biomass, compared to other forests. The Sundarbans ecosystem, however, has been hit with several threats. Poaching is a big problem for the ecosystem. Also, uncontrolled felling of trees is a large problem. Tigers keep the forest protected because they keep away human intervention and they protect the forest from being destroyed.

Different surveys are conducted from time to time in collaboration with Wildlife Institute of India, West Bengal’s Forest Department, and World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)-India, with active participation and cooperation of Bangladesh Forest Department. An unprecedented effort of camera trapping and field surveys across tiger-occupied habitats was undertaken by the Govt. of India and as per its assessment report ‘Status of Tigers in India, 2014’, tiger population in the Sundarbans has remained stable and is estimated to be around 76 (62 to 96) tigers. Major part of the Sundarbans has now been camera trapped for capturing unique individual tiger photos. All these survey report and statistics clearly point out that the condition of most of the endangered species is very critical, especially the Royal Bengal Tiger. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

As per the reports of WWF and several wildlife research organisations, the decline in the number of the tigers in the Sundarbans is primarily due to three reasons. Firstly, it is illegal wildlife trade. Prior to the international ban on tiger trade in 1993, tiger populations were being severely decimated by poaching and trade. In spite of the ban, the illegal trade of tigers for their skin, bones, claws and teeth has increased dramatically in the past few decades. Poaching driven by the international illegal wildlife trade is the largest immediate threat to the remaining tiger population.



Then comes prey loss. Tigers suffer severely from loss of natural prey like deer, wild boar and other animals. Decline in the number of prey because of direct poaching for meat and trade, competition with livestock over food, and habitat degradation because of excessive wood removal for fires are some of the reasons responsible for decline in the prey which sustain the tigers. Lastly, conflict with humans is also a major reason for tiger decline. As tigers continue to lose their habitat and prey, they are continuously coming out of their territories in search of food and as a result get involved into conflict with humans of the surrounding villages. Sometimes in retaliation, tigers are killed by angry villagers. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

There is a typical custom in the villages of Sundarbans that is praying to the Bonbibi, the forest deity. It is believed to be the single most common way locals try to ward off tiger attacks. She is thought to protect those who work in the forest from tigers. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

By virtue of being the top predator, the tiger functions as an umbrella species for the conservation of biodiversity, ecosystem functions, goods, and services in forest systems of Asia. The ‘Project Tiger’, a pioneering conservation initiative of the Government of India administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, aims to harness this role of tigers for the conservation of ecosystem. The main aim of Project Tiger was to create safe havens and ideal environmental conditions for the survival and growth of tigers and its prey to ensure preservation of a viable population of this wonderful ‘big cat’ in the country for scientific, economic, cultural, aesthetic and ecological values. Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in 1973 as a centrally sponsored conservation programme aimed at saving the tiger population in India. It also identifies and eliminates the factors responsible for the decline of tiger. The major threats or factors recognised by Project Tiger are poaching that is driven by an illegal international demand for tiger parts and products, depletion of tiger prey caused by illegal bush meat consumption, and habitat loss due to the ever-increasing demand for forested lands. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve



The Sundarbans, which is an excellent tiger habitat and the largest sanctuary for the Royal Bengal Tiger in the world, stands across the common boundary of India and Bangladesh; as a result both the countries have shared a common concern for the animal and has taken certain bilateral initiatives for ensuring the survival and conservation of the tiger in the unique ecosystem of Sundarbans. As per the reports of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India on 6 September, 2011 has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, on the conservation of Sundarbans, which also includes conservation of the Royal Bengal Tiger. Both countries have recognised the need to monitor and conserve the Sundarbans, which is home to rich biodiversity consisting of large variety of rare species of flora and fauna, and acts as a vital protective barrier shielding the mainland from flooding, tidal waves and cyclones. According to this MoU, both countries will share technical knowledge with the common goal of conservation and management of biodiversity of the Sundarbans as well as organised joint tiger estimation at regular intervals. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve

For decades conservation has been the practice of protecting wild plant and animal species and their habitats from extinction. In today’s world, wildlife conservation has become an increasingly important task due to the adverse effects of human activities on wildlife. Today, the major dangers to wildlife come from global climatic change, unregulated hunting and poaching of wild animals for trade, pollution, overexploitation of natural resources and extensive deforestation to make room for the ever-expanding human population. Despite multiple challenges and demands on its resources, India’s efforts at preserving its wildlife are highly praiseworthy. It is because of the continuous efforts of the Govt. of India along with the help of many national and international organisations that the tigers still remain in a precarious existence in India. Faced with threats of habitat loss and organised poaching, tiger populations need scientific monitoring, protection and trans boundary cooperation among other things to ensure their long term survival. Sundarban Biosphere Reserve