The aptly named Sundarbans (‘beautiful forest’ in Bengali) is a delta created where the mighty Ganga as well as the Brahmaputra river systems meet the sea. About 2,585 sq. km. of this forest is classified as a tiger reserve in India and

1,397 sq. km. is protected as a reserve in Bangladesh. The Sundarbans is the ultimate land of the tiger. These swamps are a shield that protect Kolkata and many other urban centres from the impact of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal. Of course, being the world’s largest mangrove forest, this also happens to be a ‘food factory’, where marine species that feed millions of humans breed. Put another way, protecting the tiger in the Sundarbans has resulted in all kinds of benefits to humans.

Despite centuries of misguided efforts by us, nature has reigned supreme in this difficult habitat, full of salt water, mangrove swamps, mudflats and sandy beaches. And because humanshave not managed to venture too deep here, tigers have survived. But the situation is changing fast. Newer technologies, more dangerous pollutants, industrial-scale intrusions on the mangroves and, now, climate change, have combined to threaten the existence of the Sundarbans and all its amazing creatures. Like in all of India’s tiger forests, it is habitat destruction – in the form of pollution by factories and thermal plants, shrimp farms, oil and gas exploration and mega-tourism projects – that is wreaking havoc in the Sundarbans.

At Sanctuary, we believe that our success or failure in protecting the Sundarbans will be the single most important factor in saving the tiger from extinction. Sanctuary has embarked on a Bengal Tiger Bachaao Campaign, supported by Bengal Tiger Line (BTL), that is trying to network individuals, organisations and governments who are working to protect the tiger so that they can join forces. On October 1, a public meeting was organised at Kolkata’s historic Town Hall, when 20 ‘foot-soldiers’ working in the Sundarbans – including forest guards, rangers and boatmen – were honoured.

To add some fun to the occasion, the famous Telengi tiger dancers of Orissa were invited to perform. On October 3, the Bengal Tiger Bachaao campaign visited Bali Island in the Sundarbans where about 2,500 children gathered to celebrate the fact that despite all odds, the tiger is still alive today. The kids took an oath to protect the tiger along with local organisers, Asit Biswas from Bali Conservation Society, Anil Mistry from HELP Tourism and Col. Sakthi Bannerjee from the Wildlife Protection Society of India. Joydip and Suchandra Kundu (our Kids for Tigers Coordinators in Kolkata) gathered a busload of tiger-lovin