Lurking in the shadows, swimming from the depths of murky waters and stalking its prey as the largest and arguably the most fascinating solitary hunter on the planet, the Royal Bengal Tiger claims this lush green and wet terrain as its home turf. It’s a land of mythical proportions, a beautiful jungle (in Bengali).

Image by sayamindu

Shrouded in mystery, protected from human interferences through its thick canopy and home to some of the most exotic wild species on earth, the Sundarbans in India and Bangladesh is the largest Mangrove ecosystem in the world.

Image by joiseyshowaa

Image by wikipedia

Originally measured about 200 years ago, the Sundarbans covered an area of about 16,700 km² but today it has shrunk significantly to only 4,143 km². Spanning across West Bengal in India and Bangladesh, the Mangrove forest is formed in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta. The region is known to be highly fertile and is used extensively for cultivation, mainly because the interiors of the Delta are shielded away from the sea.

Image by wikipedia

Image by wikipedia

Declared as a reserved and protected forest under the colonial rule, the Sundarbans is today a UNESCO World Heritage site. One look at its impregnable forest, and it justifies that status.

The entire delta basically consists of the freshwater swamps forest region and the Mangrove region that extends further out to the sea. The one of a kind ecoregion is not just the largest of its kind in the world, but also the most exhilarating tourist spot with its deadly attractions.

Image by wikipedia

Image by mc_masterchef

The range of animal life on view here is almost unparalleled in its complexity as you can find varieties of crocodiles, single-horned rhinos, sharks, freshwater dolphins, an astonishing array of birds of prey, a variety of fishes, shelled- sea life, Indian flap-shelled turtles, peacock soft-shelled turtles, Javan rhinoceros, Swamp deer and of course the famous Royal Bengal Tiger. Considering such abundance of wildlife, it is a spot that no nature lover could afford to miss.

Image by candletree

Image by the eternity

However, with Bangladesh being one of the most densely populated countries in the world and hence the immense pressure for both residential and agricultural land, the protected area has its own share of troubles. Some of the species in the forest are becoming extinct, while the number of Royal Bengal Tigers has dwindled to just above 500 today.

As for the Indian side of this thriving and vibrant Mangrove forest, it’s far better protected, and with the Tiger being the national animal, all efforts are being made to ensure its numbers start growing again.

Image by sayamindu

Image by sayamindu

With more than 334 plant species observed when last recorded in 1904, the thick and muddy jungles are mostly left unexplored even till today. It is hard to imagine that in a region that is as densely populated as this, the enchanting magic of these forests still remains “so” untouched.

It is hard to describe Sundarbans’ aura and its magnitude in sheer words but a photo frame with the Royal Bengal Tiger leaping out of water to take down its prey, says it all.

Image by mc_masterchef

Image by mc_masterchef

A multitude of caverns and tributaries that disappear into the green canopy and those exotic shots of the sun setting over a Ganges racing towards the sea, Sundarbans is a land that is personified by the wild spirit burning bright in the eye of the tiger.

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