Wild Animals in Sunderban National Park

The Sunderban National Park offers a unique and exhilarating wildlife habitat.  The legendary Bengal tiger is one of the star highlights of the park. This National reserve is home to many crabs, fishes, and reptiles because of the mangroves surrounding it. If you are planning your trip to Sunderban National Park, you will be able to witness many rare fauna species like flying foxes, pangolins, and macaques.

Apart from them, the park is also filled with many other common species like wild boars, foxes, jungle cats, and common grey mongooses. So, yes you can say that Sunderbans has become the home to many species which are extinct from all around the world. If you like watching and studying birds, then this park is an ideal place to research avifauna. This article will discuss the significant wildlife in Sunderban National Park, so without further ado let’s get started.

You will be able to enjoy a dense wildlife in these safaris. Given below is the information on the basic category of fauna present in Sunderban National Park.

Predators

When we talk about Sunderban National Park, the thought of Bengal tigers (Panthera tigers) is the first to come to our mind. Along with 500 Bengal tigers, the park provides habitat to many predator species like leopards (Panthera pardus), jungle cats (Felis chaus), fishing cats  (Prionailurus viverrinus), leopard cats (Prionailurus bengalensis), saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris), gharial (Gavialis gangeticus), and water monitor lizards (Varanus salvator).

Extra Info
The mangrove forests of Sunderban National Park share their territory with one of the largest UNESCO biosphere reserves to conserve endangered fauna or wildlife. The Park is home to more than 400 Bengal tigers. You will be able to see about 12 tigers per 100 square meters.

Reptiles

Sunderban National Park possesses several reptile species. Some of them are the green vine snakes (Ahaetulla nasuta), olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), dog-faced snakes (Cerberus rynchops), green turtles (Chelonia mydas), Indian black turtle ((Melanochelys trijuga), estuarine crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus), chameleons (Chamaeleonidae), king cobras (Ophiophagus hannah), Salvator lizards (Varanus indicus), russels vipers (Daboia russelii), mouse geckos (Eublepharis macularius), hawks bill turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata), monitor lizards (Varanus), rat snakes (Chordata), checkered keelbacks (Fowlea piscator), pythons (Python molurus), sea snakes (Hydrophis ornatus), and common kraits (Hydrophis ornatus).

Extra Info
Snake bites are very common in the area, so taking precautions and a first aid kit is always recommended before enjoying the reptiles in the park.

Avifauna

Sunderban National Park is heaven for bird watchers as the place possesses numerous bird species. If you are lucky, you might spot more than 200 bird species during your visit. Some of the rare species include the endemic brown-winged kingfishers (Pelargopsis amauroptera), lesser adjutants (Leptoptilos javanicus), white-bellied sea eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster), grey-headed fish eagles (Ichthyophaga ichthyaetus), masked finfoots (Heliopais personata), ospreys (Pandion haliaetus).

If you choose to get a safari ride then you will be able to witness a variety of native birds in the park including open-billed storks (Anastomus oscitans), Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia), pariah kites (Milvus migrans govinda), brahminy kites (Haliastur indus), marsh harriers (Circus aeruginosus), swamp partridges (Ortygornis gularis), red junglefowl (Gallus gallus), black-headed ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), water hens (Amaurornis phoenicurus), coots (Fulica), pheasant-tailed jacanas (Hydrophasianus chirurgus), common kingfishers (Alcedo atthis), curlews (Numenius), peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus), woodpeckers (Picidae), black-tailed godwits (Limosa limosa), common snipes (Gallinago gallinago), paradise flycatchers (Persephone paradisi), wood sandpipers (Tringa glareola), green pigeons (Treron), rose-ringed parakeets (Psittacula krameri), cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), and white-bellied sea eagles (Haliaeetus leucogaster).

Extra Info
You will be able to spot many species of kingfishers in the area. If you are a bird watcher, you should visit after monsoon season to enjoy the bird sightings.

Water Species

Sunderban is famous for its mangrove surroundings including all the creeks and rivers. The park is highly rich in aquafauna including Common toads (Bufo bufo), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), barb (Barbus), river eels (Anguilla anguilla), starfish (Asteroidea), king crab (Lithodidae), fiddler crab (Uca), hermit crab (Paguroidea), sawfish (Pristidae), butterfish (Peprilus triacanthus), electric ray (Torpediniformes), common carp (Cyprinus carpio), prawn (Dendrobranchiata), shrimps (Caridea), Gangetic dolphins (Platenista gangetica), skipping frogs (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix), and tree frogs (Hylidae).

Extra Info
The main attraction or the spotlight of aquatic species in Sundarbans are mudskipper fishes like Periophthalmus and Boleopthalmus. You will see them moving around the riverbanks of the Sundarbans.

Legendary Boat Safari 

The months from September to March are considered the best time to visit this Park mainly because of the availability of boat safaris. During these months, visitors can have the opportunity to sail in the deep forest enjoying the beautiful marine life in the deltas of the Ganges. You can book your boat safari (AC or Non-AC/ small or large) according to your preference. It is recommended to book your safari prior to your visit beacuse of the possible rush suring peak season.

Note: No boats are allowed to sail after 6:30 PM.

This information is solely based on the significant fauna species found in Sundarban National Park. Though you can visit the park on your own, it is recommended to hire a tour guide to make you better understand the highlights of each animal in the park. Sunderban is a paradise for wildlife photographers. We hope you keep the peace and decorum of the park, it will not only prevent you from disturbing animals you can also enjoy your time watching them in their natural state.