When I was about 9 or 10 years old (well,                                                          

that was a good five and a half decades ago),

I first read about the Flamingo in Lewis Carroll’s

wonderful book – Alice in Wonderland.

So strange was the depiction that I thought the Flamingo was an imaginary bird.
Flamingoes are truly strange looking birds.
And they feed in a peculiar fashion.
They immerse their entire heads in the mud in the bottom of the water – upside down.

Description

There are six species of flamingoes in the world.
Of these, only two species – the Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus) and the Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor) are found in India.

The spread of these two species are as follows:                      
1.  Greater Flamingo (P. roseus) (most widespread flamingo) -            
are found in parts of Africa, S. Europe and S. and S.W. Asia.
2.  Lesser Flamingo (P. minor) (most numerous flamingo) –                   
are found from Africa (e.g. Great Rift Valley) to N.W. India.

The Greater Flamingo is the tallest flamingo, standing 120 to 150 cm (47-59 inches) and weighing up to 3.5 kg (7.7 lb.).
The Lesser Flamingo is slightly shorter and lighter.Male flamingoes are slightly larger than females, weigh more and have wider wingspans; however, visual sex determination of flamingoes is unreliable.

To take off, a flamingo runs several steps, begins flapping its wings, and lifts off into the air.
When landing, the procedure is reversed.
The bird touches down and then runs several paces.The flamingoes fly in V-shape formations, with their head and neck stretched out in front and the legs trailing behind.
The flight speed of a flock of flamingoes can reach 50 to 60 kph (31-37 mph).

Flamingoes have been known to fly 500 to 600 kms (311-373 miles) each night between habitats.Flamingoes are frequently seen standing on one leg.
But the reason for this behavior is not fully known. Flamingoes often stamp their webbed feet in the mud to stir up food from the bottom.

Flamingoes of Mumbai    


Flamingoes are non migratory birds. But they do move about between different habitats.
During the winter months, flocks of flamingoes come from the colder parts of India to various coastal areas of India – especially to areas where there are plenty of salt pans.

They even come to the mudflats off Sewri (near Central Mumbai) and some parts of Thane every year to nest, lay eggs, hatch their chicks, help them grow and then they fly away.

There are numerous mudflats and mangroves in the creeks across Sewri.
These accumulate organic minerals, which in turn harbour planktons, crustaceans and shrimps.
These attract a lot of different species of birds, including flamingoes.

Both the Greater and the Lesser Flamingoes can be seen here from middle of October to late May.

The Lesser ones are more abundant than the Greater ones with their numbers crossing fifteen thousand.

Flamingoes’ nests

The flamingoes build their nest a little distance away from the shore where they are relatively safe from predators.
The nest is just a mound of mud, about 12 inches (30 centimeters) high to protect the egg from flooding during high tide and from the occasional intense heat at ground level.
Both the male and female help build the nest by drawing mud toward their feet with their beaks.

The female Flamingo lays a single large egg, which is incubated by both parents.
At hatching, a Flamingo chick has gray down feathers.
It also has a straight, pink bill and swollen pink legs, both of which turn black within a week.

After hatching, the chick stays in the nest for 5 to 12 days.

For about two months, the chick feeds on milk produced by both and female Flamingoes.
This is not true milk produced by the mamillary glands  -  but ‘crop milk’ a secretion from the parents’ upper digestive tract due to the action of a hormone called prolactin.
Even pigeons produce this kind of milk.

Diet

Flamingoes filter-feed on brine shrimp and other crustaceans.
Their oddly-shaped beaks are specially adapted to separate mud and silt from the food they eat, and are uniquely used upside-down.

The filtering of food items is assisted by hairy structures called lamellae which line the mandibles, and the large rough-surfaced tongue.

The flamingoe’s characteristic pink colouring is caused by the Beta carotene which comes from shrimp and blue-green algae in their diet.
A well-fed, healthy flamingo having its full quota of Beta carotene is more vibrantly coloured.

Zoos therefore add prawns and other supplements to the diets of their Flamingoes.

Flamingoes at  Mithi Mahim creek in Mumbai

In the last week of June 2008, for the first time ever, bird watchers saw a flock of 11 Flamingoes at the Mithi river – where it meets the Mahim creek. Government officials credit this to the cleaning and desilting of the Mithi river.

It is too early to say whether the Flamingoes have come to stay particularly because this is not the time for the Flamingoes to come.
This is the time when the Flamingoes leave for their home.

It is even possible that for some reason, the birds, mostly young, could not fly back with their parents.
Time alone will tell us whether they are here to stay and whether the site will attract other Flamingoes in future.

But the phenomenon does indicate that the Mithi (which means sweet – and this is what the river water once was) has become sweeter (cleaner).

the largest mass nesting site of
Olive Ridley turtle
in the world

Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary is the only marine sanctuary in Orissa (Eastern India).
This Sanctuary is extremely important because it is the largest mass nesting site of the Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) in the world. There are only four mass nesting sites of the Olive Ridley turtles in the world.
Of these four, the ‘Playa Ostional’ is in Ostional village in Costa Rica.
The other three are in Orissa.

The three mass nesting sites of the Olive Ridley turtles in Orissa are:        ·         Nasi Islands of the Gahirmatha beach near the mouth of rivers Brahmini and Baitarani.
      ·         Devi river mouth in Puri district (100 kms south of Gahirmatha), and the 
      ·         Rushikulya river mouth (320 kms south of Gahirmatha).

The estimate of the numbers of Olive Ridley turtles who come to the three nesting sites in Orissa vary according to different estimators.
They may exceed 1 million.
On an average, around 15,000 Olive Ridley turtles get killed every year – largely due to drowning, after getting entangled in the fishing nets.

Gahirmatha Turtle Sanctuary

The most important nesting site in Orissa is Gahirmatha.
The 35 kms coast of Gahirmatha (in Kendrapara District of Orissa), covering an area of 1435 sq kms, was declared a Turtle Sanctuary in 1979.On an average, 700,000 turtles lay 120 eggs each on the beach here every year.
The total is a cool 84 million eggs.
The eggs hatch in 45 – 70 days depending on the weather and temperature conditions.

The hatchlings emerge and make a frantic run to the sea, chased by predators such as crabs, vultures, and seabirds.
Even after they reach the sea, they are in danger from such predators as sharks, fishes and crocodiles.
Some years, there are no nestings at all.
We do not know why mass nesting does not take place in some years.

Olive Ridley Turtle
The Olive Ridley turtle, named after H.N. Ridley FRS, who first reported sighting of Olive Ridleys in Brazil in 1887, and because of their overall olive green colour, is the smallest of the marine turtle species in the world.They grow to a length of 70 cms. The adults weigh about 45 kgs.
The carapace is tear-drop shaped.
They are omnivorous and feed on crustaceans and molluscs.

They can dive to great depths and may be bottom feeders.
They are highly migratory, travelling thousands of kilometers between foraging and nesting grounds.

The most fascinating feature of Olive Ridley turtle is their mass nesting called ‘arribada’ – a Spanish word meaning mass arrival.

It is believed that they nest at intervals of one to four years.
In India, the nesting season is between November to March.
Olive Ridleys nest sporadically in other coastal places of India, such as,.Jamnagar, Bhavnagar, Gorai, Kihim, Manowrie, Versova, between Ambolgad and Vetye, Morjim and Galgibag; Kozhikode district (Calicut) in and some places  in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and in the Sundarbans.

According to the IUCN, the status of the Olive Ridley turtle is ‘Critically endangered’.

Incredible Mass Nesting

The mass nesting or arribada is an unforgettable sight.
On a clear moonlit night, during the nesting season, you can see thousands of turtles crawling out of the sea, puffing and laboring as they drag themselves on the beach, select a suitable site, dig a hole in the sand with their hind flippers, lay nearly 120 eggs each, cover and compact the holes with their own body, sweep out all traces of their visit and crawl back to the sea – all within 45 minutes.
This indeed is one of Nature’s miracles!

Nesting Sites in Danger
Gahirmatha has come into the news recently due to construction of the Dhamra Port in the area.
The Port is being built by the Dhamra Port Company Ltd (DAPCL) – a joint venture of Tata Steel and Larsen and Toubro.The port is less than 15 kms from the turtle nesting beaches at Gahirmatha Turtle Sanctuary and less than 5 kms from the Bhitarkanika Sanctuary, India’s second largest mangrove forest.

25 percent of the Port work is already over (May 2008).
The first phase of the project, worth about Rs.24.63 billion, will become fully operational by April 2010. National and international environmental activist group raised objections.
The work was stopped for a short spell.
But the concerned Government agencies, including the National Environment Appellate Authority, have given clearance and construction work has again begun.These agencies are of the view that the northern stretch of the Dhamra river is muddy and silty and therefore unsuitable for turtle nesting.
The Wildlife Institute of India has also opined that the marine turtles nest south of the river and do not come to the beaches on the north.

Role of IUCN

DAPL had invited the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to identify areas with potential to adversely affect the turtle habitat and precautionary measures that can be implemented to nullify the possible negative impact.

The IUCN made certain suggestions. One of the measures involves using turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in the fishing nets and trawlers.
Bittu Sehgal, editor of Sanctuary magazine, is of the view that construction of the port “would disrupt the food chain cycle in the entire marine system”. According to him, the damage by the port would be irreversible. “Olive Ridley turtles feed on invertebrates and play an important role in open ocean and coastal ecosystems. …The effect will be visible after five years but who will answer then? ”

Bhitarakanika Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park

Close to Gahirmatha Turtle Sanctuary is the lovely Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park.
The Bhitarkanika area was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1975.

This is the second largest Mangrove ecosystem in India and is known for its crocodiles, water monitors, creeks and canals and kingfishers.
There are also white crocodiles.
There are herds of deer on the banks.  There are also a large variety of migratory and resident birds. 

Cause for concern

A number of national and international environmental groups have expressed concern that the port, in proximity to the two Protected Areas, poses an unacceptable environmental risk. Greenpeace has released a critique that exposes serious and fundamental flaws in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted for TATA’s Dhamra port project in Bhadrak district, Orissa.According to the environmentalists, the risk is not limited to the nesting sites alone.
The turtles live in the off shore waters for about six months a year.
The port site is a breeding ground for horse-shoe crabs, as well as rare species of reptiles and amphibians including the amphibian Fejervarya cancrivora.

Recommendation

The presence of the turtles actually helps the fishermen and results in higher fish productivity. There is higher abundance of fish –  leading to higher catches.The reason is the preference of turtles to feed on jelly fishes which otherwise would have eaten the fishlets,

The law in Orissa requires that the trawlers should be fitted with turtle excluder devices (TEDs). But the fishermen are averse to this device. They feel that this will greatly reduce their catch.
The environmentalists, several NGOs and students are doing a good job educating the public and protecting the turtle hatchlings.

Visit the incredible mass nesting, if possible.
Local tour operators will organise a visit to the nesting sites.Other wise, you can visit the mangrove forests and the area any time of the year except during the monsoons (rainy season). 
 

Unique Wildlife Sanctuary

According to the Ramayana, Lord Ram himself stood at this point and carried out reconnaissance of Ravana’s kingdom in Sri Lanka just 48 kms. away.
A stone slab at Ramarpatham (meaning Rama’s feet), the highest point of Point Calimere, bears the foot prints of Ram.

Now it is a unique wildlife and bird sanctuary.

Overview

Situated at the southern end of Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu, the sanctuary may be divided into three divisions:
· Point Calimere Forest;
· Great Vedaranyam Swamp, which includes the mangrove forests at Muthupet, and
· Talaignayar Reserve Forest.It is a marine – coastal wetland with a wide diversity of habitats , including dry evergreen forests, mangrove forests, and wetlands.

The coastal water is the breeding ground, or nursery, for many species of marine fishes.

Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary (PCWBS)

Point Calimere region was first identified as an area of high conservation importance by late Dr. Salim Ali, the world famous ornithologist, in 1962.
The Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary, with an area of 24.17 km², was created on June 13, 1967 for conservation of Black buck (Indian antelope), an endangered and endemic species of India.

In 1988, the Sanctuary was enlarged to include the Great Vedaranyam Swamp and the Talaignayar Reserve Forest, and renamed the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary, with a total area of 377 km².

In November 2002, the sanctuary and some adjacent areas (excluding the reserved forest) were designated a Ramsar Site – a wetland of international of importance.

Animals

Fourteen species of mammals have been reported in the Sanctuary.
The most graceful are the sleek and beautiful black buck.
When I visited the Sanctuary, the black bucks did not allow me to come close.
They kept a respectable distance.
When I advanced towards them, they retreated.

Other large animals are spotted deer, wild boar, jackal, Bonnet macaque, mongoose, monitor lizards, black naped hare, Civet cat and semi wild ponies.

There are large colonies of flying foxes in the Point Calimere forest and in the mangrove forest at Muthupet.

Dolphins and turtles often come quite close to the shore.

Birds

The sanctuary has one of the largest water bodies in South India and is rich in both resident and migratory birds.

A total of 257 species of birds have been recorded of which 119 are water birds and 138 forest birds.
Some of the major water bird species are the greater flamingo, the lesser flamingo, spot – billed pelican, grey pelican, spoonbill sandpiper, Asian dowitcher, white bellied sea eagle, brahminy kite and osprey.
The land birds include paradise flycatcher, Indian pitta, Rosy starling, Blyth reed warbler, crested serpent eagle and brown shrike.

Since 1959, the Bombay Natural History Society has been conducting regular bird migration studies in the sanctuary.
So far, over 200,000 birds have been captured, studied, ringed and released.
Bombay Natural History Society has set up a new field station in Kodaikadu in 2007.

Flora

The vegetation of the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary is diverse, ranging from dry evergreen forests, mangrove vegetation, salt marsh to grasslands.
If you are interested in plants, you can see carnivorous or insectivorous plants, such as, Drosera burmanii and D. indica.

Places to see

You can see the footprints of Lord Rama at Ramar Padam.
You can have a beautiful view of the sanctuary and the larger mammals and birds from the watch tower located near the shrine.
The historic ruins of a 1000-year old Chola light house were wiped out by the Tsumani of 2004.
A modern lighthouse built in 1890 guides the mariners.

Recommendation

Point Calimere is the apex of the Cauvery River delta, and forms a right-angle turn near the coastline.
The area is littered by salt pans. They may create ecological problems, but they do attract a large number of birds.

It’s a wonderful sanctuary.
You will see the graceful black bucks, a variety of birds, plants, dolphins, etc.

The forests of Point Calimere are one of the last remnants of the dry evergreen forests that were once typical of the East Deccan dry evergreen forests eco-region.

You can visit Thanjavur, just 90 km away, the seat of the celebrated Chola kings from the 10th to the early 14th century.
The entire South India is open to you beyond that….

Unique Temple of the Formless Shiva

I have visited Chidambaram several times for three reasons.
· To meander through the Mangrove Forests of Pichavaram to the beach beyond.
· To visit, attend or give lectures at the Annamalai University.
· And to visit the Chidambaram Temple.

Meaning of the word Chidambaram

The word Chidambaram is derived from the two words ‘Chit’ meaning ‘consciousness’ and ‘ambaram’ meaning ‘sky’ (akaas) and signifies the sky of consciousness, which is the ultimate state one should attempt to attain.According to another version, the word Chidambaram is derived from Chitrambalam which is derived from two words ‘Chit’ and ‘ambalam’ meaning Stage for performing arts.

The Deity

Chidambaram Temple is unique because the main deity which is worshipped there is the Akash Linga or the formless form of Lord Shiva. Here, Lord Shiva is worshipped in the form of ether (one of the five forms of matter) which has no form.As you can see on the left side of the photograph, there is no deity at all.The wall is covered with leaves of gold foil strung on strings. (Of course, there are a lot of other deities).

The Chidambaram Temple is also dedicated to Lord Shiva in the form of Nataraja – the Cosmic Dancer.The beautiful image of Nataraja is extremely popular amongst artists.

History

We do not know much about the past of Chidambaram.But worship in this temple has continued uninterrupted since time immemorial.The Temple was definitely in existence in the 6th century A.D.Successive generations of the Chola, the Pallava and the Vijayanagar kings patronised the temple.The Chola King Aditya 1 started guilding a portion of the roof of the temple with gold.But the work was completed by his son.Mythology

A group of ‘rishis’ (saints) lived in the Thillai forests. They believed in magic and believed that even God could be controlled by rituals and ‘mantras’ or magical words.

Once, Lord Shiva was strolling through the Thillai forests in the form of ‘Pitchandanar’, a nude mendicant asking for alms.He had extraordinary beauty and radiance.He was followed by his consort. The wives of the rishis were enamoured by the handsome mendicant and his consort.

On seeing this, the rishis became angry and sent scores of serpents by performing magical rituals. Lord Shiva lifted the serpents and donned them as ornaments on his matted locks, neck and waist.

The enraged rishis sent a fierce tiger. Lord Shiva skinned it and tied its skin around his waist like a piece of garment. Still more infuriated, the rishis sent a powerful demon ‘Muyalakan’. Lord Shiva stepped on the demon’s back, immobilized him and performed the Ánanda thaandava (the dance of bliss or happiness).Then he discloses his true form. Only then, the rishis realized that Lord Shiva was beyond magic and rituals and surrendered to him.Govindaraja Shrine

The Chidambaram Temple complex also has a shrine of Govindarajaperumal (form of Lord Vishnu) and his consort Pundareegavalli Thaayar (form of Laxmi). It is rare to have shrines of both Shiva and Vishnu in the same temple.

Temple car

The Chidambaram Temple car is one of the most beautiful of temple cars in Tamil Nadu. This car is used to carry the statue of Lord Nataraja around the town twice a year.

The Gopurams

The temple has 9 gateways.Four of these have towering ‘gopurams’ or pagodas each with 7 levels in the East, South, West and North. The eastern gopuram has sculptures depicting all the 108 postures (karnams) of Bharat Natyam – an Indian form of dance.

Reaching there

Chidambaram is 240 km south of Chennai and about an hour’s drive from Pondicherry.There are plenty of trains from Chennai.The road is also very good.
The coast is about 11 kms from Chidambaram.

Recommendation

The temple complex spreading over 40 acres is full of exquisite statues.There is the Shivganga, the traditional tank.Chidambaram is also worshipped as the temple of Nataraj – the Cosmic Dancer.There is an annual dance festival.The top most Indian dancers deem it a privilege and honour to perform here.

Nataraj, the image of the Lord Shiva in the dancing pose has been copied all over the world.

All the major temples in Tamil Nadu are administered by the Government. Chidambaram is the sole exception.The huge temple complex looks like an undefeatable fort and has been used as such.

You can visit the Annamalai University, which pioneered the concept of distance education in India.
You can also visit the Pichavaram Mangrove Forests.

Land of the Royal Bengal Tiger

Largest Delta in the World

The two great rivers, Ganges 2,510 km. (1,560 miles) and Brahmaputra 2,900 km. (1,800 miles), are born in the snowy peaks of the Himalayas. On the last lap of their long journey, just before they enter the Bay of Bengal and merge with the oceans, they meander through the plains of Bangladesh and West Bengal (India) creating the largest delta in the world.

The Ganges-Brahmaputra delta covers an area of 80,000 sq. km. (30,800 sq. miles) and comprises of 54 inhabited and 48 uninhabited islands, mangrove forests, swamps and mud flats. The delta is approximately 350 km. (220 miles) wide at the Bay of Bengal.

Mangrove forests of India and Bangladesh in Sunderban Region

The Sunderban region encompasses 10,262 sq. km. (3,950 sq. miles) of reserved mangrove forests. 4,262 sq. km. (1640 sq. miles) of the mangrove forests are in India (West Bengal). The remaining 6000 sq. km. (2310 sq. miles) are in Bangladesh.
Sunderban is the only mangrove forest in the world which is home of the tiger.

Indian Sunderban – 9,692 sq. km.

Another 5,430 sq. km. (2,090 sq. miles) of non-forest, inhabited region in India, to the north and north-west of the mangrove forests, is also known as the Sunderban. The combined forest and non-forest area in India totalling 9,692 sq. km. (3,730 sq. miles) is known as the Indian Sunderban region.
This region is criss-crossed by an intricate maze of rivers, tributaries, streams, channels, estuaries and creeks. Life is extremely difficult in this region because 70% of the area is covered by saline brackish water. The environment is made more hostile by the diurnal rise and fall of water caused by the tidal waves.Sunderban region has about sixty per cent of the total mangrove forests of India.
Sunderban Tiger Reserve

In 1973, the Government of India notified 2585 sq. km. (995 sq. miles) of the area as the Sunderban Tiger Reserve under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and brought it under its Project Tiger Scheme. In 1977, the Reserve was elevated to the status of Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Project Tiger has brought in much needed funds and support from the Government of India and the State Government. But the Sunderban needs still more funding.
The Sunderban Tiger Reserve has more tigers than any other Tiger Reserve in the world. The following are the figures of tigers in the Sunderban:
___________________________________________________
1972    1979    1984   1989   1993   1995   1997   2001-02*    2004
   60      205      264     269     251     242     263        245          274
___________________________________________________

The majority of the four million people who live in the Sunderban area are poor and live below the poverty line. They lack access to proper roads and health care facilities.

Therefore, in spite of the presence of the tigers, many of whom are man eaters and sometimes kill animals and humans, the local villagers venture into the forests to collect honey or to cut wood.

The local villagers worship Bonbibi (the local forest deity) and Dakshin Ray (a demon who is believed to assume the shape of a tiger) to protect them from the tigers. Tigers generally attack from the rear. For this reason, while moving inside the forests, the villagers wear bright coloured face masks behind their heads in the hope that the tiger will be fooled by this trick. In spite of this, sometimes they are attacked by tigers.

Sunderbans National Park

On May 4, 1984, Government of India elevated a core area of 1,330.10 sq. km. (510 sq. miles) to the status of National Park. In 1987, UNESCO recognised the Sunderbans National Park as a World Heritage Site. No commercial activity is permitted in the core area. Visitors are not allowed inside the core area. This is to ensure complete privacy to the tigers.

Some facts about the Sunderban Tigers

· The tiger is the top predator of both aquatic and terrestrial eco-systems in the Sunderban.
· A tiger requires 7.5 kilograms of meat every day.
· About 17.5% of food for the tiger comes from aquatic sources.
· They drink saline water, perhaps the only example of this kind in the world.
· A wild tiger requires 10 sq. km. of area to roam around.
· The female takes care of her cubs for as long as 18 months. The males are usually tolerant of their own cubs. But may kill the offspring of other males.
· During the two peak tidal periods of February and May, territorial markings by tigers in Sundarban get obliterated by the daily tides. During that time, tigers are often found swimming across rivers and creeks, crossing up to 8 km. wide rivers.
· During the paddy ripening time, tigers enter several kms. inside the paddy fields and prey on the cattle there.
· The easiest quarries of man-eating tigers/victims are wood cutters, fishermen and honey collectors.
· Fishermen are the worst sufferers.
· But only 5% of the tigers are man eaters.

Tiger attacks

There is not a single instance of a tiger attacking a human being (even if it has strayed out of the forest) unless it is cornered by people. Normally, it kills cattle as its prey.
All cases of tiger killing humans occur only when a man enters the forest. If we look from the tiger’s point of view, a man inside his forest is simply another legitimate prey, which is easily available and easier to hunt than deer or wild boar.

The Mangrove Biosphere

In order to coordinate and integrate conservation, research and training activities in the Sunderban region, on March 29, 1989, the Government of India notified the entire 9,630 sq. km. region as the Sunderban Biosphere Reserve. More than four million people live within the Biosphere Reserve.
In November 2001, UNESCO accorded recognition to the Sunderban Biosphere Reserve area under its Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme.

Unique Habitat

The water in the numerous rivers, creeks and canals rises and falls in tune with the tides. Salt water from the sea rushes in and out – twice every day – making the region one of the most difficult terrains to live in. Most of the creatures here – both animals and plants – land and aquatic – have developed unique adaptations to survive in this peculiar environment.

For instance, the tiger has become a strong swimmer. It has learnt to catch fish. It even drinks saline water.

Throughout the mangrove forests, at the water’s edge, you will find the unique mud skipper, a fish that walks on land and even climbs trees. Its fins have evolved into two small arm-like flippers which permit it to move about on land. There are numerous blood-red fiddler crabs and other crustaceans.
The mangrove trees have developed strange aerial roots and unique propagation mechanism.
Sunderban has 84 species of mangrove and mangrove-related plants.

Animal Life

According to Hunter’s Account of Sundarban written in 1878, there were numerous tigers, leopards, rhinoceros, wild buffaloes, wild hogs, wild cats, bara-singha, spotted deer, hog deer, barking deer and monkeys in the Sundarban.

Over the last 130 years, leopards, rhinoceros, wild buffaloes and bara-singha have vanished. The animal life has been reduced to the tiger, deer, wild boar, monkeys, jungle cats and fishing cats.

Aquatic Life

There are a number of aquatic mammals – the Ganges dolphin, Indo-pacific hump-backed dolphin, Irrawaddy dolphin and the Finless porpoise.

There are several species of reptiles – Olive Ridley turtle, the river terrapin, estuarine crocodile (the largest crocodile in the world), monitor lizard, water monitor, chameleons; and a varied assortment of snakes – King cobra, common cobra, Banded krait, Russell’s Viper, Python, Chequered Keelback, Dhaman, Green Whip Snake, Indian python and a number of water snakes. There are skipping frogs, common toads and tree fogs.

The numerous species of fishes include the Saw fish, Butter fish, Electric Rays, Silver Carp, Star Fish, Common Carp, several species of sharks, prawns and shrimps.

Bird Life

The area is rich in bird life. There are over 200 species of birdsincluding plenty of water birds – Asian open bill stork, black-necked stork, greater adjutant stork, egrets, herons, swamp francolin, white ibis, white-collared kingfisher, black-capped kingfisher, brown-winged kingfisher, spotted billed pelican, etc.

A number of migratory birds come from far off places. You can see the Asian dowitcher (Limnodromus semipalmatus), a rare migrant bird, during the winter months.
There are also a number of birds of prey – white-bellied sea-eagle, grey-headed fishing eagle, brahmini kite, herring gull, osprey, Pallas’s fish eagle, peregrine falcon, Oriental hobby, northern eagle owl and brown fish owl.

Plant Life

The most important trees are the mangrove trees. The name Sunderban meaning Sundari forest comes from two words Sundari (a species of mangrove tree – Heritiera fomes – one of the larger mangrove trees here) and Ban (forest).
There are several other species of trees. Genwa which has flaming red leaves in April and May. The Kankara with its crab like red flowers. Khalsi with its dazzling display of yellow blooms.

Stay – Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge

The only place to stay inside the forest area is the Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge (also known as Sunder Chital Tourist Lodge) in Sajnekhali maintained by the West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. It is rustic and simple. There is no electricity. A generator gives just enough power to run the fans and lights during the late evening and night.
There is a watch tower here, a crocodile pond and a turtle pond. There is also an artificial hatchery for hatching eggs of Olive Ridley turtles. Turtle eggs are collected from the wild and hatched under human supervision.
There is a Mangrove Interpretation Centre here where you can see films on wild life and get you doubts cleared.

If you want luxury, you can stay at Sunderban Tiger Camp just across the river – opposite Sajnekhali.
The Sunderban Tiger Camp has four A/c double bed and three Non-A/c double bed Cottages; 4 bed huts and 4 bed Swiss tents. All the rooms are simple but spacious with 24 hours electricity and running water and good service.
A third place to stay is the Sunderban Jungle Camp at Bali Island also opposite Sajnekhali. There are also a few private hotels and resorts in Pakhiralay area.
You can also stay on board the launch which has cabins, toilets, running water and arrangement for meals. In fact, the Government of West Bengal and the West Bengal Tourist Development Corporation Ltd. both organize excursions into the Sunderban where you spend the nights on board the launch. You can even hire a private launch and plan your individual itinerary.

Places to see

Piyali
Piyali, situated 72 km from Kolkata, is a gateway to the Sunderban. It is a beautiful resting place. Here the small river Piyali mingles with Matla river.

Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary
The Sajnekhali Bird Sanctuary situated on the confluence of Matla and Gumdi rivers is a part of the Sunderbans National Park. You can see a variety of birds.
This is a bird watcher’s paradise.

Sudhanyakhali
Has a man made Mangrove Park and a watch tower. The Sunderban forests have about 84 species of plants. You can see most of them here. From the watch tower, you can also see deer, water monitors, etc.

Kaikhali
On the way to Sundarbans, you can visit Kaikhali Island. This is an ideal picnic spot.

Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project
The Bhagabatpur Crocodile Project is a hatchery and rearing centre of the world’s largest estuarine crocodiles. You can reach this place through Namkhana.

Netidhopani
You can see the the ruins of a 400 year old temple at Netidhopani and listen to ancient legends from the locals. There is a watch towers here.

Halliday Island & Lothian Island Wildlife Sanctuaries
These two sanctuaries lie to the south of the Sunderban and are not part of the Tiger Reserve.

Halliday Island is considered the last retreat of the shy barking deer.

Kanak
This is the nesting place of Olive Ridley turtles who spend most of their lives in the far away seas and oceans. These turtles travel long distances to shallow coastal waters to breed – often travelling up to 100 km from the sea into the rivers.

How to reach Sunderban

The islands Goasaba, Sandeshkali and Basanti form the northern boundary of the Sundarban. On the south is the sea. To the west are the Matla and Bidya Rivers and to the east is the international boundary with Bangladesh.
For visiting Sunderban, the starting point is Kolkata (Calcutta). From Kolkata, there are two routes. One goes south towards the South West; the other goes south towards the South East. Either way, you have to drive about 100 km. The road is very good.
The South West route takes you to Namkhana (105 km – via Diamond Harbour and Kakdwip). If you like a longer river journey, you can take a boat from any of these places or from Gangadharpur and visit Sagar Island, Lothian Island and surrounding areas.
The South East route is more popular. You drive through 100 kms of picturesque wetlands, agricultural fields, fish hatcheries and rural Bengal to reach Sonakhali. From here, you can take a 3 hour launch ride to Sajnekhali Tourist Lodge.
If you are more adventurous, you can travel on to Basanti by road (which is just across the river from Sonakhali) and drive on to Gadkhali (11kms). At Gadkhali, take the ferry and cross the Bidya river to Gosaba. A cycle rickshaw will take you to Pakhiralaya in about half hour. Sajnekhali is just across the river from Pakhiralaya.
During the launch ride, you will pass a number of villages of West Bengal. Most of the village people are engaged in some sort of fishing. You will see ladies and children dragging fishing nets to catch tiger prawn fry from which they earn about Rs. 50 per day. But this damages the eco system very badly.

Fact File

Airport
The nearest airport is Kolkatta – 112 kms.Railway Station

Railway
The nearest station is Canning – 48 kms. from Kolkatta

Road
Road transportation is available from
Kolkatta to Namkhana – 105 kms.
Sonakhali – 100 kms.
Raidighi – 76 kms.
Canning – 64 kms. and
Najat – 92 kms.

Best time to visit

September to April.

Foreigners need special permits

Foreigners need special permit to enter the Sunderban.
Permit to visit Sunderban Tiger Projects is issued by Field Director, Sundarbans Tiger Reserve, PO Canning, District 24 Parganas, West Bengal.
Permit to visit other areas of the Sundarbans is issued by the Jt. Secretary, West Bengal Forest Department, Writer’s Building, Kolkatta – 700001.
In order to save time, foreigners should request their travel agent to obtain the permit before hand.

Suggestions

A Sunderban trip is a unique and exciting experience. A journey to no where. Far away from civilization in the mysterious land of the mighty tiger.
Chances of sighting a tiger are rare. But the area has a mysterious, indescriptible charm. You will thoroughly enjoy a few days stay here. It is totally different.

Some related web sites

1. Map of the region is available at: http://www.calcuttaweb.com/maps/south24pgs.shtml 2.Map of the Sunderban region is available at: http://www.sundarbanbiosphere.org/html_files/photos_all/map/sundarban_4_1.htm 3. Web site of the West Bengal Government: http://www.wb.nic.in/westbg/sundarban.html 4. Web site of the Sunderban Tiger Camp: http://www.sunderbantigercamp.com/contact.htm 5. Web site of the Sunderban Jungle Camp: http://www.helptourism.com/photo_sundarban.html 6. Addresses of offices of Govt. of India & W.B. Tourism Development Corp. Ltd., in Kolkata: http://www.tourisminindia.com/indiainfo/cityguide/calcutta/contact.htm