Sundarbans

The Sundarbans is the largest single block of tidal

halophytic mangrove forest in the world.[1] The name
Sundarban can be literally translated as "beautiful
jungle" or "beautiful forest" in the Bengali language.
The name may have been derived from the Sundari
trees that are found in Sundarbans in large numbers.
Alternatively, it has been proposed that the name is a
corruption of Samudraban or Chandra-bandhe But
the generally accepted view is the one associated
with Sundari trees.[1]

The forest lies at the feet of the Ganges and is spread

across areas of Bangladesh and West Bengal, India,
forming the seaward fringe of the delta. The
seasonally-flooded Sundarbans freshwater swamp
forests lie inland from the mangrove forests. The
forest covers 10,000 km2 of which about 6,000 are in
Bangladesh.[2] It became inscribed as a UNESCO world
heritage site in 1997, but while the Bangladeshi and
Indian portions constitute the same continuous
ecotope, these are separately listed in the UNESCO
world heritage list as the Sundarbans and Sundarbans
National Park, respectively. The Sundarbans is
intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways,
mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove
forests. The area is known for the eponymous Royal
Bengal Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), as well as
numerous fauna including species of birds, spotted
deer, crocodiles and snakes. It is estimated that there
are now 500[3] Bengal tigers and about 30,000 spotted
deer in the area. Sundarbans was designated a
Ramsar site on May 21, 1992. The fertile soils of the
delta have been subject to intensive human use for
centuries, and the ecoregion has been mostly
converted to intensive agriculture, with few enclaves
of forest remaining. The remaining forests, together
with the Sundarbans mangroves, are important
habitat for the endangered tiger. Additionally, the
Sundarbans serves a crucial function as a protective
flood barrier for the millions of inhabitants in and
around Kolkata

Flora

Sundari tree

The Sundarbans flora is characterized by the

abundance of Heritiera fomes, Excoecaria
agallocha, Ceriops decandra and Sonneratia
apetala. A total 245 genera and 334 plant
species were recorded by David Prain in 1903.
[15]
Since Prain’s report there have been
considerable changes in the status of various
mangrove species and taxonomic revision of
the man-grove flora.[16] However, very little
exploration of the botanical nature of the
Sundarbans has been made to keep up with
these changes. Whilst most of the mangroves
in other parts of the world are characterized by
members of the Rhizophoraceae,
Avicenneaceae or Laganculariaceae, the
mangroves of Bangladesh are dominated by
the Sterculiaceae and Euphorbiaceae.[7]

The Bangladesh mangrove vegetation of the

Sundarbans differs greatly from other non-
deltaic coastal mangrove forest and upland
forests associations. Unlike the former, the
Rhizophoraceae are of minor importance.
Differences in vegetation have been explained
in terms of freshwater and low salinity
influences in the Northeast and variations in
drainage and siltation. The Sundarbans has
been classified as a moist tropical forest
demonstrating a whole mosaic of seres,
comprising primary colonization on new
accretions to more mature beach forests, often
conspicuously dominated by Keora (Sonneratia
apetala) and tidal forests. Historically three
principal vegetation types have been
recognized in broad correlation with varying
degrees of water salinity, freshwater flushing
and physiography and which are represented
in the wildlife sanctuaries:

Sundari and Gewa occur prominently

throughout the area with discontinuous
distribution of Dhundul (Xylocarpus granatum)
and Kankra. Among grasses and Palms,
Poresia coaractata, Myriostachya wightiana,
Imperata cylindrica, Phragmites karka, Nypa
fruticans are well distributed. Keora is an
indicator species for newly accreted mudbanks
and is an important species for wildlife,
especially spotted deer (Axis axis). Besides the
forest, there are extensive areas of brackish
and freshwater marshes, intertidal mudflats,
sandflats, sand dunes with typical dune
vegetation, open grassland on sandy soils and
raised areas supporting a variety of terrestrial
shrubs and trees.
Fauna

The Sundarbans provide a unique

ecosystem and a rich wildlife habitat.
The Sundarbans were home to
approximately 500 Bengal tigers in
2004[20], one of the largest single
populations of tigers. Tiger attacks
are frequent in the Sundarbans.
Between 100 and 250 people are
killed per year. However, owing to
various measures taken for safety,
there have been no reports of deaths
since 2004 in the Indian portion of
the Sundarbans[citation needed].ecent
studies revealed that the Bangladesh
Sundarbans support diverse
biological resources including at least
120 species of commercially
important fishes, 270 species of
birds, 42 species of mammals, 35
reptiles and eight amphibian species.
This represents a significant
proportion of the species present in
Bangladesh (i.e. about 30% of the
reptiles, 37% the birds and 34% of
the mammals) and includes a large
number of species which are now
extinct elsewhere in the country.[21]
Two amphibians, 14 reptiles, 25 aves
and five mammals are presently
endangered.[22] The Sundarbans is an
important wintering area for migrant
water birds[23] and is an area suitable
for watching and studying avifauna.
[24]
Apart from the Royal Bengal Tiger;
Fishing Cats, Macaques, Wild Boar,
Common Grey Mongoose, Fox, Jungle
Cat, Flying Fox, Pangolin, Chital, are
also found in abundance in the
Sundarbans. The river terrapin
(Batagur baska), Indian flap-shelled
turtle (Lissemys punctata), peacock
soft-shelled turtle (Trionyx hurum),
yellow monitor (Varanus flavescens),
water monitor (Varanus salvator),
Indian python (Python molurus) and
the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris
tigris) are some of the resident
species.

The endangered species that lives

within the Sundarbans are Royal
Bengal Tiger, Estuarian Crocodile,
River Terrapin (Batagur baska), Olive
Ridley Turtle, Gangetic dolphin,
Ground Turtle, Hawks Bill Turtle and
King Crabs (Horse shoe).
Some species such as hog deer (Axis
porcinus), water buffalo (Bubalus
bubalis), swamp deer (Cervus
duvauceli), Javan rhinoceros
(Rhinoceros sondaicus), single
horned rhinoceros (Rhinoceros
unicornis) and the mugger crocodile
or marsh crocodile (Crocodylus
palustris) have become extinct in the
Sundarbans at the beginning of the
last century.[22]

Tiger attacks in the Sundarbans

The Sundarbans are home to approximately 500 Bengal tigers[1], one of the largest single
populations of tigers in one area. These tigers are well-known for the substantial number
of people they kill; estimates range from 50-250 people per year. They are not the only
tigers who live in close proximity to humans; in Bandhavgarh, villages encircle the tiger
reserves, and yet attacks on people are rare. Although attacks were stalled temporarily in
2004 with new precautions, recently attacks have been on the rise. This is particularly due
to the devastation on the Bangladeshi side of the swamp caused by Cyclone Sidr which
has deprived tigers of traditional food sources (due to the natural upheaval) and has
pushed them over towards the more populated Indian side of the swamp.[2]

A Royal Bengal tiger

Precautions

The locals and government officials take certain precautions to prevent attacks. Local
fishermen will say prayers and perform rituals to the forest goddess, Bonbibi, before
setting out on expeditions. Invocations to the tiger god Dakshin Ray are also considered a
necessity by the local populace for safe passage throughout the Sundarbans area.
Fishermen and bushmen originally created masks made to look like faces to wear on the
back of their heads because tigers always attack from behind. This worked for a short
time, but the tigers quickly realized it was a hoax, and the attacks continued. Government
officials wear stiff pads that rise up the back of the neck, similar to the pads of an
American football player. This is to prevent the tigers from biting into the spine, which is
their favored attack method.[citation needed]

Causes of the attacks

No one is exactly sure why the tigers of the Sundarbans are so aggressive towards
humans, but scientists, biologists, and others have speculated about a number of reasons.
These include:

• Since the Sundarbans is located in a coastal area, the water is relatively salty. In
all other habitats, tigers drink fresh water. It is rumored that the saltiness of the
water in this area has put them in a state of constant discomfort, leading them to
be extremely aggressive. Freshwater lakes have been artificially made but to no
avail.
• The high tides in the area destroy the tiger's urine and scat which serve as
territorial markers. Thus, the only way for a tiger to defend its territory is to
physically dominate everything that enters.
• Another possibility is that these tigers have grown used to human flesh due to the
weather. Cyclones in this part of India and Bangladesh kill thousands, and the
bodies drift out in to the swampy waters, where tigers scavenge them.
• Another possibility is that the tigers find hunting animals difficult due to the
continuous high and low tides making the area marsh-like and slippery. Humans
travel through the Sundarbans on boats gathering honey and fishing, making for
easy prey. It is also believed that when a person stops to work, the tiger mistakes
them for an animal, and has, over time, acquired a 'taste' for the human flesh.
• It has also been hypothesized that the tigers in this area, due to their secluded
habitat, avoided the brunt of the hunting sprees that occurred over the course of
the 20th century. Tigers inhabiting the rest of Asia developed a fear of humans
 after these events, but tigers in the Sundarbans would never have had reason to
stop seeing humans as prey.

About 5,000 people frequent the swamps and waterways of the Sundarbans. Fishing boats
traverse the area and many stop to collect firewood, honey and other items. In the dark
forest, tigers find it easy to stalk and attack men absorbed in their work. Even fishermen
in small boats have been attacked due to tigers' strong swimming abilities.[3]

Responses to the attacks

Local villagers, who fear tiger attacks and resent the animal for killing their livestock,
sometimes engage in revenge killings. On one occasion, a tiger had attacked and
wounded the people in a village in south-west Bangladesh (near the Sundarbans) and
frequently preyed upon their livestock. This roused the wrath of the villagers, and the
feline became a target for their retribution. Poachers are also responsible for killing tigers
in the reserve in an effort to sell them on the black market.[4]

The human death rate has dropped significantly due to better management techniques and
fewer people are killed each year. Even at the rate of fifty or sixty kills per year, humans
would provide only about three percent of the yearly food requirements for the tiger
population of the Sundarbans. Therefore, despite the notoriety associated with this area,
humans are only a supplement to the tiger's diet; they do not provide a primary food
source.[5]

Villagers in the area have agreed to occasionally release livestock into the forest in order
to provide an alternative food source for the tigers and discourage them from entering the
villages. The government has agreed to subsidize the project to encourage village
participation. [6]