Sundarbans National Park

Sundarbans National Park lies in West Bengal, India, forming the core of a tiger reserve and biosphere reserve. It sits within the Sundarbans on the Ganges Delta, bordering Bangladesh’s Sundarban Reserve Forest, and ranks among the largest strongholds for the Bengal tiger. The delta’s dense mangrove forests also shelter salt-water crocodiles, along with many birds, reptiles, and invertebrates.

The area first came under forest management in 1869. In 1875, much of the mangrove forest was designated as reserved forest under the Forest Act of 1865, with the rest following the next year. Control shifted from civil administration to the Forest Department, and a dedicated forest division was created in 1879, based in Khulna, Bangladesh. The first management plan covered 1893–1898. In 1911, the Sundarbans was described as an unexplored, waterlogged jungle stretching about 266 kilometers from the Hugli River mouth to the Meghna River, bordered by the districts of 24 Parganas, Khulna, and Bakerganj. Its total area, including water, was estimated at 16,900 square kilometers, with tigers and other wild animals abundant. Reclamation efforts had little success. The region was crisscrossed by rivers and creeks, some navigable by steamers and local vessels. Most of the delta lies in Bangladesh.

The park was declared the core of the Sundarban Tiger Reserve in 1973, a wildlife sanctuary in 1977, and a national park on May 4, 1984. It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987, a Ramsar site in 2019, and part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves on November 10, 2001.

The Directorate of Forest manages the park. The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Wildlife & Bio-Diversity, also serving as Chief Wildlife Warden of West Bengal, oversees administration. Locally, the Chief Conservator of Forests (South) and Director of Sundarban Biosphere Reserve leads, assisted by a deputy and assistant field director. The park splits into two ranges, each overseen by a range forest officer, with ranges further divided into beats. Floating watch stations and camps help guard against poachers. Funding comes from the state government, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Project Tiger from the central government, and a 2001 grant of US$20,000 from the World Heritage Fund for India-Bangladesh cooperation.