By now I’ve been to most of the major wildlife parks and sanctuaries in India. But I know that a wildlife tour in India without a trip to Sunderbans remains incomplete and I was never ready to go back with such an infamy. The river delta is one of the prime habitats of the Royal Bengal Tiger where I was to encounter the Tiger in its various moods.

After a day's sojourn in the colonial city of Kolkata I proceeded southwards for about 131 kms and finally reached the termination point of my Indian wildlife tour. I had already taken the permit from the Forest Department's office at Kolkata an now I'm simply unstoppable. After putting up for the night at the tourist lodge in Sajnekhali I started for the estuarine delta area. I hired a boat and the exploration began. As I went past the wooded forests and saline water channels I was wonder struck at the sight of spotted deers, wild pigs, monkeys, herons, kingfishers, white bellied eagles. The adventure was heading for its peak as we sailed through the water and finally the vision, for which I was waiting impatiently since morning, came with the gift of elusive sights of the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger. Sunderbans is home to around 270 Tigers.

Though Sunderbans’ tigers are described as man-eaters, the actual fact according to specialists is that they seldom attack human beings. Apart from their favourite hunts, the tigers prey on fishes or steal honey from beehives. I came to know from my guide that these tigers are great swimmers- they can swim upto 10 kms.

As we sailed forward we came across other creatures such estuarine terrapins, Olive Ridley turtles, estuarine crocodiles, Ganges dolphins, water monitors and a wide variety of birds, fish and crustaceans which live in perfect harmony with nature. I also visited the crocodile enclosure, a shark pond, a turtle hatchery and a Mangrove Interpretation Centre inside the Sajnekhali Visitors' Centre. With such vivid experiences I can only marvel at nature's bounty.