Forest and Wildlife

Joypur Forest

The home of the beautiful Spotted Deer- Cheethals, this reserve forest of Bengal is spread across an area of 120 square kilometers. Thriving with a verdant vegetation of Sal, Teak, Amla and Bahera trees, this forest is located near the pre-historic town of Bishnupur. The wildlife also consists of a good population of exotic birds and abundant number of parrots. During winters, one can also find a glimpse of wild elephants crossing the forest area. There is a popular resort nearby which has its own farm, vegetable garden, a huge lake (Jheel) and is equipped with all modern facilities. A few kilometers away from the resort a watch tower is present that offers a scintillating view of the forest life. It is about 10 minutes walk from the resort. There is also an abandoned airstrip of British era within the forest, which you can visit. About 14 kilometers away is the Bishnupur town famous for its Terracotta temples and Baluchori saris. Also on the way you can visit the Kansabati Dam and the color changing lake of Mukutmanipur.

Sundarbans

The Sunderban forests are located in the largest delta region of the world i.e. the Bay of Bengal. It is also the largest single block of tidal mangrove forest. The UNESCO has declared this reserve forest as a World Heritage Site. The forest lies in the mouth of the vast confluence of three major River system of India viz. the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna. The Sundarbans is intersected by a complex network of tidal waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. The unique interconnected network of waterways makes almost every corner of the forest accessible by boat. This mangrove forest is home to the renowned Royal Tiger of Bengal (Panthera tigris tigris) and also many species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles and snakes. The forest not only breeds its wildlife species but it also has been a fertile cradle of civilization to humans as well for many centuries. Presently, the eco-region has very little forest cover left because of the extensive use of fertile agricultural lands by people. An interesting fact about the Sunderban Forest is that it derives its name from the Sundari trees that flourish in that forest region.