10,200 sq km), stretching over Sundarbans is where the
the international border dividing onslaught of humanity fades and India and Bangladesh, situated the tiger reigns supreme. This is in what is also the worlds largest the world's largest tiger reserve riverine delta that is formed by the with over 300 tigers according to mighty Ganga and Brahmaputra. 2006 tiger census. Unlike other wildlife parks where roads, jeeps and guides provide a semblance of control, here visitors will find themselves holding their breath and stiening to a state of alertness as their boat glides through the creeks and forests that shelter dangers in their impenetrable undergrowth.
The Royal Bengal tigers in Sunderbans
have developed a unique characteristic of swimming in the saline waters, and are notorious as being man-eaters. Tourists are not permi"ed into the core zone but can visit the buer zone which includes Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary, Lothian Wildlife Sanctuary and Halliday Wildife Sanctuary. The park has strategically-placed watchtowers, reached through corridors covered in protective net fencing, to see its unique landscape and fauna.
In 1987, the entire Sunderban region, covering
both India and Bangladesh, was declared a World Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO, and soon a#er proclaimed a Biosphere Reserve.
Olive ridley turtles swim to these shores from
distant oceans from January-March to lay eggs BELOW: A white stork on the beaches here. in the silts