The Sundarbans is a mangrove forest located in the Ganges Delta, where the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna Rivers meet in the Bay of Bengal. It covers an area from the Hooghly River in India’s West Bengal state to the Baleswar River in Bangladesh’s Khulna Division. The region includes closed and open mangrove forests, farmland, mudflats, and barren land, and is crossed by many tidal streams and channels. The Sundarbans spans 10,277 km² (3,968 sq mi), making it the world’s largest mangrove forest. In Bangladesh’s Khulna Division, it covers 6,017 km² (2,323 sq mi), and in India’s South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts, it covers 4,260 km² (1,640 sq mi). Four areas within the Sundarbans are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Sundarbans West, Sundarbans South, Sundarbans East in Bangladesh, and Sundarbans National Park in India. The Indian Sundarbans were classified as endangered in a 2020 assessment under the IUCN Red List of Ecosystems. The most common tree species are sundri (Heritiera fomes) and gewa (Excoecaria agallocha). The forest is home to 453 wildlife species, including 290 birds, 120 fish, 42 mammals, 35 reptiles, and eight amphibians. Despite a ban on killing or capturing wildlife except for fish and some invertebrates, biodiversity has declined significantly in the 20th century, and the ecological health of the forest has worsened.
The Sundarbans face threats from natural and human causes. In 2007, Cyclone Sidr damaged about 40% of the forest. Rising sea levels and climate change have increased salinity, while reduced freshwater supply harms the ecosystem. In 2009, Cyclone Aila caused severe damage, affecting at least 100,000 people. Climate change is expected to worsen environmental and human conditions in the region, leading to more ecosystem loss and climate-related migration. Experts suggest restoring and managing mangrove areas and helping communities adapt through measures like planned relocation and building stronger infrastructure. A 2016 UNESCO report warned that the proposed Rampal coal-fired power station could further harm the Sundarbans.
Etymology
The name Sundarbans means "beautiful forest" in Bengali, which is written as সুন্দরবন and in the Roman alphabet as Sundôrbôn. Some people think the name might come from Samudraban, which means "Sea Forest," or from Chandra-bandhe, the name of a group of people. However, the most likely source of the name is Sundari or Sundri, which is the local name for a type of mangrove tree called Heritiera fomes. This tree is found in large numbers in the Sundarbans area.
History
The history of people living in the Sundarbans area began during the Mauryan era (4th–2nd century BCE). In the Baghmara Forest Block, remains of an old city were found, which some believe belong to Chand Sadagar, a figure from before the Mauryan era in Bengali stories. In Kapilmuni, Paikgacha Upazilla, north of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, archaeologists discovered ruins of a city from the early Middle Ages. During the Mughal period, local rulers allowed people to settle in the forests by giving them land. In 1757, the British East India Company gained ownership of the Sundarbans from the Mughal Emperor Alamgir II and finished mapping the area in 1764. Organized forest management began about 100 years later. The first Forest Management Division to oversee the Sundarbans was created in 1869. In 1875, a large part of the mangrove forests was declared a reserved forest under the Indian Forest Act of 1865. The rest of the forests were also declared reserve forests the next year, and the area was placed under the control of the Forest Department. A Forest Division, the basic unit for managing and governing forests, was established in 1879 with its headquarters in what is now Khulna, Bangladesh. The first management plan for the Sundarbans covered the years 1893–1898.
Geography
The Sundarban forest is located in the large delta of the Bay of Bengal, where the rivers Hooghly, Padma (both are branches of the Ganges), Brahmaputra, and Meghna meet in southern Bangladesh. This freshwater swamp forest is inland, away from the mangrove forests near the coast. The Sundarban forest covers an area of 10,277 km² (3,968 mi²), with about 6,517 km² (2,516 mi²) in Bangladesh. The part of the Sundarban forest in India is estimated to be about 4,260 km² (1,640 mi²), of which approximately 1,700 km² (660 mi²) is covered by water such as rivers, canals, and creeks of varying widths.
The Sundarban forest is crossed by a network of tidal waterways, mudflats, and small islands covered with salt-tolerant mangrove trees. The connected waterways allow boats to reach nearly every part of the forest. This area is famous for its Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris) and is home to many animals, including birds, chital deer, crocodiles, and snakes. The fertile soil of the delta has been used by humans for a long time, and much of the region has been turned into farmland, leaving only small forest areas. The remaining forests, along with the Sundarban mangroves, provide important habitat for the endangered tiger. The mangrove trees in the Sundarban forest also play a key role in protecting millions of people in and around Kolkata, Khulna, and the Port of Mongla from flooding caused by cyclones. They also help prevent damage from tsunamis and reduce soil erosion along the coast.
Physiography
The Sundarbans, a mangrove forest in the Ganges Delta, is one of the largest mangrove ecosystems in the world. Most of the Sundarbans is in Bangladesh, with a smaller part in India. About 60% of the area is in Bangladesh, and 40% is in India. To the south, the Sundarbans borders the Bay of Bengal. To the east, it is next to the Baleswar River, and to the north, it meets farmland. Drainage in the forest is blocked by large embankments and polders, except in the main river channels. The Sundarbans was once about 16,700 square kilometers (6,400 square miles) in size, but now it covers about 4,143 square kilometers (1,600 square miles). This includes 42 square kilometers (16 square miles) of exposed sandbars and 1,874 square kilometers (724 square miles) of water, such as rivers, streams, and canals. Rivers in the Sundarbans mix saltwater from the Bay of Bengal with freshwater from the Ganges.
Over time, the Sundarbans has formed through the natural movement of sediment and the separation of land and water areas. The landscape includes many river channels, levees, tidal flats, and marshes. Some areas are above the average tide level, while others are covered by tidal sandbars and islands. The floor of the Sundarbans is between 0.9 and 2.11 meters (3.0 and 6.9 feet) above sea level.
Living things in the Sundarbans help shape the land and create habitats for wildlife. These habitats include beaches, estuaries, swamps, tidal flats, and dunes. Mangrove plants help form new land and support swamp shapes. Animals in the mudflats create small features that hold sediment, helping mangrove seeds grow. Plants like grasses and sedges stabilize sand dunes and loose soil. The Sundarbans mudflats, as noted by Banerjee (1998), are found near river mouths and on islands where water moves slowly. These flats are exposed during low tides and covered during high tides, changing shape with each tide. Large tides cause about one-third of the land to disappear and reappear daily. The inner parts of the mudflats are ideal for mangrove trees to grow.
Ecoregions
The Sundarbans includes two ecoregions: "Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests" (IM0162) and "Sundarbans mangroves" (IM1406).
The Sundarbans freshwater swamp forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion found in Bangladesh and India. This ecoregion lies behind the Sundarbans mangroves, where salt levels are higher. The freshwater swamp forests have water that is only slightly salty, and during the rainy season, freshwater from the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers pushes saltwater away, making the water much fresher. This ecoregion covers 14,600 square kilometers (5,600 square miles) of the Ganges-Brahmaputra Delta, extending from the northern part of Khulna District and the southern part of North 24 Parganas District in West Bengal, India. It is located between the upland Lower Gangetic plains moist deciduous forests and the brackish-water Sundarbans mangroves near the Bay of Bengal.
This ecoregion is under serious threat due to large-scale clearing and settlement, which have supported one of the densest human populations in Asia. Over many years, human activity has caused significant harm to the habitat and biodiversity of this area. Only two protected areas—Narendrapur (110 km) and Ata Danga Baor (20 km)—cover a small portion of the ecoregion (130 km). Because habitat loss is widespread and the remaining areas are fragmented, it is difficult to determine the original vegetation of this region. According to Champion and Seth (1968), the freshwater swamp forests are dominated by species such as Heritiera minor, Xylocarpus molluccensis, Bruguiera conjugata, Sonneratia apetala, Avicennia officinalis, and Sonneratia caseolaris. Other plants like Pandanus tectorius, Hibiscus tiliaceus, and Nipa fruticans grow along the edges.
The Sundarbans mangroves ecoregion forms the coastal edge of the delta and is the world's largest mangrove ecosystem, covering 20,400 square kilometers (7,900 square miles). The dominant mangrove species, Heritiera fomes, is known locally as sundri or sundari. Mangrove forests have limited plant diversity, with thick tree canopies and few plants growing beneath them. Other tree species in the forest include Avicennia, Xylocarpus mekongensis, Xylocarpus granatum, Sonneratia apetala, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Ceriops decandra, Aegiceras corniculatum, Rhizophora mucronata, and Nypa fruticans palms. Twenty-six of the fifty broad mangrove species found worldwide grow in the Sundarbans. Common vegetation types in the dense Sundarbans mangrove forests include saltwater mixed forests, mangrove scrub, brackish-water mixed forests, littoral forests, wet forests, and wet alluvial grass forests. The mangrove vegetation in Bangladesh differs from other coastal and upland forests, as the Rhizophoraceae family plays a minor role here.
Ecological succession refers to the gradual change in plant communities over time in a specific area. In newly formed mudflats, the first plants to grow are pioneer species, which are eventually replaced by other plants in a process called seral stages. Eventually, a stable community typical of the region forms. Robert Scott Troup suggested that succession begins on newly formed land created by soil deposits. The first plants to appear are Sonneratia, followed by Avicennia and Nypa. As the land rises due to soil buildup, other trees begin to grow. One of the later species to appear is Excoecaria. When the land becomes higher and is only occasionally flooded by tides, Heritiera fomes begins to grow.
Flora
In 1903, David Prain recorded 245 plant genera and 334 species. Unlike mangroves in other regions, which are mainly from the Rhizophoraceae, Avicenniaceae, or Combretaceae families, the mangroves in Bangladesh are mostly from the Malvaceae and Euphorbiaceae families.
The Sundarbans has many plant species, including sundari (Heritiera fomes), gewa (Excoecaria agallocha), goran (Ceriops decandra), and keora (Sonneratia apetala), which are common throughout the area. The sundari tree (Heritiera littoralis) is the most notable tree in the forest, and its name may have inspired the forest’s name. Its strong wood is used for building homes, boats, and furniture. New land areas in the forest often have keora trees, which are signs of newly formed mudbanks and are important for wildlife like spotted deer (Axis axis). Other common plants include dhundul or passur (Xylocarpus granatum) and kankra (Bruguiera gymnorhiza), though they are not found everywhere. Among palms, species like Poresia coaractata, Myriostachya wightiana, and golpata (Nypa fruticans) grow well, as do grasses such as spear grass (Imperata cylindrica) and khagra (Phragmites karka).
The Sundarbans includes several forest types, such as mangrove scrub, littoral forest, saltwater mixed forest, brackish water mixed forest, and swamp forest. Outside the forest, there are large areas of brackish and freshwater marshes, intertidal mudflats, sandflats, sand dunes with unique plants, open grasslands on sandy soil, and raised areas with shrubs and trees. Since Prain’s report, many changes have occurred in mangrove species and their classification. However, few studies have been done to understand these changes. Differences in plant life are linked to freshwater and low salinity in the northeast and to variations in water flow and soil buildup. The Sundarbans is classified as a moist tropical forest with a mix of plant communities, from new land areas to mature beach forests. Historically, plant types have been grouped based on water salinity, freshwater flow, and land features.
Fauna
The Sundarbans is a special place with a unique environment and a home to many types of wildlife. According to the 2015 tiger count in Bangladesh and the 2011 tiger count in India, there are about 180 tigers in the Sundarbans (106 in Bangladesh and 74 in India). Earlier estimates, which counted tiger footprints, showed more tigers. More recent methods, such as using camera traps, have provided more accurate results. Tiger attacks used to be common in the area and still happen often, with about 40 people killed between 2000 and 2010.
Mangroves act as a bridge between marine, freshwater, and land environments. They provide important homes for many species, including small fish, crabs, shrimp, and other crustaceans. These animals live, feed, and reproduce among the tangled roots called pneumatophores, which grow upward from oxygen-poor mud to take in oxygen. A 1991 study found that the Indian part of the Sundarbans supports many species, including at least 150 types of commercially important fish, 270 bird species, 42 mammals, 35 reptiles, and 8 amphibians. Many of these species are not found elsewhere in the country. Two amphibians, 14 reptiles, 25 birds, and five mammals are endangered. The Sundarbans is also a key place for wintering water birds and a good area for observing and studying birds.
Wildlife management focuses on two main goals: protecting animals from poaching and designating certain areas as wildlife sanctuaries where no forest resources can be taken and where wildlife face little disturbance. Although wildlife in Bangladesh has decreased over time, the Sundarbans still has several good habitats and their associated animals. Tigers and dolphins are important species for managing wildlife and developing tourism. These animals live in different environments and their health and management show the overall condition of wildlife in the area. Some species are protected by laws, such as the Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Order, 1973.
The Sundarbans is an important home for the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris). The forest also supports smaller wild cats, such as the jungle cat (Felis chaus), fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus), and leopard cat (P. bengalensis).
Many predators live in the network of water channels, tree branches, and roots that rise above the ground. This is the only mangrove region in the Indo-Pacific area that is home to the Bengal tiger, the largest land predator in the region. Tigers live in the mangrove islands and swim through the forest, hunting prey such as chital deer (Axis axis), Indian muntjacs (Muntiacus muntjak), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). It is estimated that there are about 180 Bengal tigers and 30,000 spotted deer in the area. Tigers are known to attack and kill people who enter the forest, with about 40 deaths recorded between 2000 and 2010.
Endangered and extinct species
Forest inventories show a decrease in the amount of trees standing for the two main commercial mangrove species—sundari (Heritiera spp.) and gewa (Excoecaria agallocha)—by 40% and 45%, respectively, between 1959 and 1983. Although there is a complete ban on killing or capturing wildlife except for fish and some invertebrates, there is a pattern of fewer species or loss of certain animals, including at least six mammals and one important reptile, during the 20th century. This suggests the ecological quality of the original mangrove forest is declining.
Endangered species that live in the Sundarbans include the Bengal tiger, estuarine crocodile, northern river terrapin (Batagur baska), olive ridley sea turtle, Gangetic dolphin, ground turtles, hawksbill sea turtles, and king crabs (horse shoe). The Sundarbans are also home to large numbers of the critically endangered masked finfoot and serve as important wintering sites for the spoon-billed sandpiper and the Indian skimmer. Species such as the hog deer (Axis porcinus), water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), barasingha or swamp deer (Cervus duvauceli), Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis), and mugger crocodile (Crocodylus palustris) began to disappear from the Sundarbans around the middle of the 20th century due to widespread hunting and poaching by the British and local people. Other mammals at risk include the capped langur (Semnopithecus pileatus), smooth-coated otter (Lutrogale perspicillata), Asian small-clawed otter (Aonyx cinerea), and large Indian civet (Viverra zibetha).
Climate change impact
The physical changes along the coast are affected by many factors, including wave movement, small and large tidal cycles, and currents that move along the shore. These currents change with the monsoon season and are also influenced by storms. Erosion and the buildup of land caused by these forces create changes in the landscape, though these changes are not yet fully measured. Mangrove plants help keep the area stable. During each monsoon season, most of the Bengal Delta is covered by water for about half the year. Sediment in the lower part of the delta is mainly carried inland by monsoon-related water movement and storms. A major challenge for people living in the Ganges Delta may be rising sea levels, which are mainly caused by sinking land in the region and partly by climate change.
In many of Bangladesh’s mangrove wetlands, less freshwater reached the mangroves starting in the 1970s because India diverted water upstream using the Farakka Barrage near Rajshahi, Bangladesh. The Bengal Basin is slowly tilting eastward due to new tectonic movements, increasing freshwater flow into the Bangladesh Sundarbans. This makes the salinity (salt level) in the Bangladesh Sundarbans much lower than on the Indian side. A 1990 study found no evidence that environmental damage in the Himalayas or rising sea levels caused by climate change worsened floods in Bangladesh. However, a 2007 UNESCO report stated that a human-caused rise in sea level of 45 centimeters (18 inches) by the end of the 21st century, combined with other human pressures, could destroy 75% of the Sundarbans mangroves. Lohachara Island and New Moore Island/South Talpatti Island have already disappeared underwater, and Ghoramara Island is half submerged.
A 2012 study by the Zoological Society of London found that the Sundarbans coast is retreating up to 200 meters (660 feet) each year. Agricultural activities destroyed about 17,179 hectares (42,450 acres) of mangroves between 1975 and 2010. Shrimp farming destroyed an additional 7,554 hectares (18,670 acres).
Research from Jadavpur University estimated that sea levels rose 8 millimeters (0.31 inches) annually in 2010, doubling from 3.14 millimeters (0.124 inches) in 2000. Rising sea levels have submerged about 7,500 hectares (19,000 acres) of forests. This, along with a 1.5°C (2.7°F) increase in surface water temperatures and higher salinity, threatens the survival of native plants and animals. Sundari trees, which are very sensitive to salt, are at risk of disappearing.
Mangroves help reduce the damage caused by cyclones and tsunamis on coasts. Protecting mangrove health is important. Climate change is making storm surges and tides worse, causing people to move inland. About 13% of residents left the Sundarbans between 2000 and 2010.
A 2015 study by researchers from Heidelberg University in Germany found a crisis in the Sundarbans. The study said poor planning by India and Bangladesh, along with natural changes in the environment, is causing people to leave the area.
Hazards
A report from UNESCO states that Cyclone Sidr, which hit the area in 2007, damaged about 40% of the Sundarbans.
In August 2010, an agreement was made between Bangladesh’s Power Development Board (BPDB) and India’s National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). The agreement included plans to build a coal-fired power plant called Rampal by 2016. The project would cover more than 1,834 acres of land and be located 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) north of the Sundarbans. This project did not follow the rules for checking environmental effects of coal-based power plants. Environmental activists said the location of the Rampal Station might break the Ramsar Convention. The government of Bangladesh denied claims that the power plant would harm the world’s largest mangrove forest.
On December 9, 2014, an oil tanker named Southern Star VII, carrying 358,000 liters of furnace oil, sank in the Sela River of the Sundarbans after colliding with a cargo vessel. The oil spread over 350 kilometers (140 square miles) by December 17. The oil reached a second river and a network of canals in the Sundarbans, darkening the shoreline. This event threatened trees, plankton, and many small fish and dolphins. The area where the spill happened is a protected mangrove region home to rare Irrawaddy and Ganges dolphins. By December 15, 2014, local residents, the Bangladesh Navy, and the government had cleaned up only 50,000 liters of oil. Some reports said the spill killed wildlife. On December 13, 2014, a dead Irrawaddy dolphin was found floating in the Harintana-Tembulbunia channel of the Sela River.
Economy
The forest plays important roles in protecting the environment and providing resources. It makes up 51% of Bangladesh's total reserve forest area. This forest helps generate about 41% of the country's total forest income and produces around 45% of all timber and fuel wood used in Bangladesh.
Some parts of the Sundarbans are protected from ocean water by natural barriers. In these areas, people live in villages and grow crops. During the rainy season, low-lying farmland becomes flooded, so farmers mainly grow deepwater rice or floating rice. In the dry season, the land is usually left uncultivated and used for grazing animals. Near villages, land is watered using ponds filled during the rainy season, and crops like vegetables are planted. Some land is being cleared for fish farming.
The Sundarbans has more than 4 million people living in it.
Administration
The government officials of West Bengal have approved the creation of a new district in South 24 Parganas. The district, which was suggested, has been named Sundarban.
Protected areas
The Bangladesh portion of the Sundarbans forest is managed under two forest divisions and four administrative ranges: Chandpai (Khulna District), Sarankhola (Khulna), and Burigoalini (Satkhira District). It includes sixteen forest stations, fifty-five compartments, and nine blocks. Three wildlife sanctuaries were established in 1977 under the Bangladesh Wildlife (Preservation) Order, 1973 (P.O. 23 of 1973). The West Bengal part of the Sundarbans is located in the districts of South and North 24 Parganas.
Protected areas cover 15% of the Sundarbans mangroves, including Sundarbans National Park and Sajnakhali Wildlife Sanctuary in West Bengal, and Sundarbans East, Sundarbans South, and Sundarbans West Wildlife Sanctuaries in Bangladesh.
In May 2019, local authorities in Bangladesh killed four tiger poachers during a confrontation in the Sundarbans mangrove area, where 114 tigers currently live.
Sundarbans National Park is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and Biosphere Reserve in West Bengal, India. It is part of the Sundarbans on the Ganges Delta and borders the Sundarbans Reserve Forest in Bangladesh. The area is covered by dense mangrove forests and is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal tiger. It also supports many bird, reptile, and invertebrate species, including the salt-water crocodile. The park was declared the core area of the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve in 1973 and a wildlife sanctuary in 1977. It became a National Park on May 4, 1984.
Sundarbans West Wildlife Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Bangladesh. The region has mangroves, including sparse Gewa trees (Excoecaria agallocha) and dense Goran trees (Ceriops tagal), with Hantal palm (Phoenix paludosa) in drier areas. The sanctuary is home to about 40 mammal species, 260 bird species, and 35 reptile species. Bengal tigers, with an estimated 350 remaining in the Bangladesh Sundarbans, are among the most notable animals. Other large mammals include wild boar, spotted deer, Indian otter, and macaque monkeys. Five marine turtle species live in coastal areas, and two endangered reptiles, the estuarine crocodile and Indian python, are also present.
Sundarbans East Wildlife Sanctuary covers 31,227 hectares (77,160 acres) in Bangladesh. Sundari trees (Heritiera fomes) dominate the area, with Gewa and Passur trees (Xylocarpus mekongensis) interspersed. Kankra trees (Bruguiera gymnorhiza) grow in areas frequently flooded. The understory includes Shingra trees (Cynometra ramiflora) in drier soil, Amur trees (Aglaia cucullata) in wetter areas, and Goran trees (Ceriops decandra) in saline regions. Nypa palms (Nypa fruticans) are common along drainage lines.
Sundarbans South Wildlife Sanctuary spans 36,970 hectares (91,400 acres) in Bangladesh. This area experiences significant seasonal changes in salinity and is dominated by Gewa trees, often mixed with Sundari trees. A dense understory of Goran trees and sometimes Passur trees is also present.
Sajnakhali Wildlife Sanctuary covers 362 square kilometers (140 square miles) in the northern part of the Sundarbans delta in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, India. It is mainly mangrove scrub, forest, and swamp. Established as a sanctuary in 1976, it supports a wide range of wildlife, including waterfowl, herons, pelicans, spotted deer, rhesus macaques, wild boar, tigers, water monitor lizards, fishing cats, otters, olive ridley turtles, crocodiles, batagur terrapins, and migratory birds.
In popular culture
The Sundarbans is celebrated in many Bengali folk songs and dances, often focused on folk heroes, gods, and goddesses unique to the region, such as Bonbibi and Dakshin Rai, as well as those from the Lower Gangetic Delta, like Manasa and Chand Sadagar. The Bengali folk epic Manasamangal includes references to Netidhopani and has scenes set in the Sundarbans during the heroine Behula's journey to revive her husband, Lakhindar.
Many novels are set in the Sundarbans, including works by Emilio Salgari, such as The Mystery of the Black Jungle. Other books, like Sundarbaney Arjan Sardar by Shibshankar Mitra and Padma Nadir Majhi by Manik Bandopadhyay, describe the challenges faced by villagers and fishermen in the region. These stories are deeply connected to Bengali culture. Part of Salman Rushdie's Midnight's Children, a Booker Prize-winning novel, is set in the Sundarbans. The Sundarbans also appears in Kunal Basu's short story The Japanese Wife and its film adaptation. Most of the plot in Amitav Ghosh's 2004 novel The Hungry Tide takes place in the Sundarbans. The story follows an American scientist studying a rare river dolphin, who teams up with a local fisherman and translator. The book includes two accounts of the Bonbibi story called Dukhey's Redemption. Padma Nadir Majhi by Manik Bandopadhyay was adapted into a film by Goutam Ghose.
The Sundarbans has been studied in detailed scholarly works about Bonbibi, the relationship between islanders and tigers, and conservation efforts in the region. Non-fiction books, such as The Man-Eating Tigers of Sundarbans by Sy Montegomery, written for young readers, have been recognized for their quality. In Up The Country, Emily Eden describes her travels through the Sundarbans. Many documentaries, including the 2003 IMAX film Shining Bright, focus on the Bengal tiger. The BBC TV series Ganges shows the lives of villagers, especially honey collectors, in the Sundarbans.