West Bengal
54 Results
Shrimp Farming Transforming Land Use in Sundarbans
The Sundarbans region of India has experienced a significant shift from traditional agriculture to shrimp aquaculture due to erratic weather and increasing global demand for shrimp
News
Catapults to Cameras: Film and Impact Campaign
Video
The Inner Workings of Resilience in the Sundarbans
A journey through the circuitous paths of the Indian Sundarbans reveals the struggles of communities on the frontline of climate change and human-wildlife conflict
Hero
Land of the Giants: Rhinos of Jaldapara
The land of giants, Jaldapara is one of India’s most biodiverse national parks, and the one-horned rhinoceros is its superstar resident. But there was a time Jaldapara’s rhinos were on the verge of extinction. How did the park management turn things around and what are the challenges that lie ahead?
Video
A Crocodile in the Matla River
'Writings from the Sundarbans’ is a new anthology that translates literary narratives composed in Bangla, in English. Here’s an excerpt from the short story ‘A Crocodile’
Book
An Insider’s Perspective: The Short Life of an Asian Elephant in West Bengal
Indian elephants live for 50 years, they say. Except when they are forced to share spaces with humans who are squeezing their limited habitats
Conservation
Elephants are Choosy When it Comes to Food
A study in northern West Bengal found that elephants are selective with their diet, feeding on approximately 130 species of plants among the 286 that were recorded.
Wild Vault
Amir Kumar Chettri: Panijhora’s Multifaceted Conservationist
Extensive knowledge about Gorumara National Park and exceptional wildlife spotting skills are just a few talents of this ethnobotanist from northern West Bengal. He also acts as a tourist guide, assists researchers, is a community leader and spearheads conservation projects
Hero
Safeguarding Mangrove Plantations in the Sundarbans
According to local residents and scientists, growing salt-tolerant grasses prior to planting propagules, having a layer of protection from the waves, and maintenance of fences are key to better survival rate of mangroves planted in erosion-prone areas
Conservation
Jaldapara National Park: Megaherbivore Refuge in Northern West Bengal
With the most extensive tracts of savannah grassland in the state, this park affords protection to some of the largest mammals we have — rhinos, elephants, and gaur
Habitat
Unsung Guardians: The Vital Wetlands of Kolkata
The wetlands that surround Kolkata support great biodiversity and provide it with numerous ecological benefits (including acting as an organic sewage treatment plant for the city’s wastewater)
Photo Story
Back From the Brink: The Rhinos of Jaldapara
Thanks to a slew of conservation measures taken over the years, rhino numbers have increased dramatically since the 1980s, and the “gondar” takes centerstage at this national park in West Bengal
Conservation
The Thirty-Year Long Battle to Save a Wetland in Calcutta
A new book ‘Once Upon a City’ tells stories of how citizen action in Kolkata inspired change, including a fight for a wetland that stretched for almost three decades
Book
Under Wraps: Mammals of Singalila
Renowned for its rich birdlife, this high-altitude national park in West Bengal harbours an astonishing array of mammals as well
Photo Story
Jungle Cat: From a Neighbourhood Ally to a Misunderstood Thief
In southern Bengal, the destruction of wetlands has severely depleted the jungle cat’s habitat, pushing it closer to villages in search of food!
Video
Encounters with the Red Panda, the Elusive Bear-Cat of the Himalayas
Nestled in the oak and bamboo forests of the Eastern Himalayas, red pandas are an enigmatic and resilient species
Photo Story
The Guide: Singalila National Park
Located in West Bengal along India’s international border with Nepal, this national park holds many charms even if you’re not an intrepid trekker
Travel
Stunners of the Feathered Kind in Singalila National Park
Sights and songs of Singalila’s myriad birds are a delightful accompaniment on the trails of this high-altitude national park in West Bengal
Photo Story
A Common Rarity: The Elusive Jungle Cat
Small, fierce, and stealthy as a shadow, jungle cats are the wild cousins of domestic felines
Photo Story
Seeking the Satyr Tragopan Along a Mountain Road
Sighting this threatened, elusive pheasant of the Himalayas requires persistence; but it’s patience well rewarded
Species
Singalila National Park: A Mountain Forest in the Clouds
At this charming high-altitude national park in West Bengal, the weather gods play a big role in creating an astounding diversity of flora and fauna
Habitat
Wildlife Puzzle: Green Pit Viper
Put together this jigsaw to see a fascinating pit viper in the Sundarbans
Interactive
Grandala: Facts, Appearance, Diet
All you need to know about the royal-blue, gregarious bird
Infographic
Fishing Spiders: Riders of the Swamp
A rare peek into the world of this semi-aquatic nursery web spider in a secluded seasonal swamp in Cooch Behar where it catches fish and hunts for other invertebrates in the dead of night
Photo Story
Migrating Mangroves: Why Sundarbans’ Coast Guards Are Moving
Certain species of mangroves have started growing as far as over 180 kilometres away from the Sundarbans forest — some have even been spotted near Kolkata
Conservation
Golden Jackals Find Shelter at Airports
Grasslands in and around airports in Kolkata and Guwahati offer refuge to these canids
News
Unwelcome at Home: The Palm Civets of Kolkata
As Kolkata loses some of its heritage buildings to new development, the shifting landscape claims an unlikely victim — the nocturnal, shy palm civet
Urban Jungle
Love thy Neighbour: The Villagers of Paddapukur and the Fishing Cat
In Paddapukur, a small village in West Bengal, fishermen and farmers are finding harmonious ways of living with their fellow fish-loving neighbour — the endangered fishing cat
Video
Feared, Loved, Worshipped: The Enigma of the Sundarbans Tiger
The Sundarbans is the single largest habitat of the tiger in Asia and the only mangrove forest in the world to shelter it. Watch how it rules the tidal forests, and the lives of the 4.5 million people who share its habitat
Video
Lost and Found: A Quest to Revive the Rare Batagur Baska
How a breeding programme in the Sundarbans is bringing the critically endangered batagur baska back from the brink of extinction
Video
The Mud Pack: Love, Life, and Strife in the Sundarbans
The Sundarbans mudflats are rife with tiny evolutionary curiosities that come alive with the waning tide — watch a battle in the muck, and the fine seduction of a fiddler crab
Video
Crawl, Burrow, Swim: Little Champions of the Sundarbans Ecosystem
The largest mangrove delta in the world may be more famous for its apex predators but its small creatures are also important for the ecosystem
Photo Story
Filming Sundarbans: Behind the Lens with Ashwika Kapur
How do you shoot a tidal forest that is impenetrable by foot, routinely faces deadly storms, and is ruled by a stealthy predator? Ashwika Kapur tells us why filming in the Sundarbans is both a dream, and a nightmare
Video
Risk, Ritual, and Survival: The Honey Gatherers of the Sundarbans
Moulis, the local honey gatherers, wade through marsh and murky water to gather honey from the mangrove forests of the Sundarbans, but not before they have sought the blessings of the jungle deity
Photo Story
Saltwater Crocodile: Dragons of the Sundarbans Swamps
Basking in the sun, the saltwater crocodile is a study in stillness but once it enters the brackish waters of the Sundarbans, it is the top aquatic predator
Species
The Guide: Sundarbans Tiger Reserve
The world’s largest mangrove forest is a serene landscape that syncs its moods with the changing tide twice every day. The tiger may be its biggest attraction, but the shifting tide is its real protagonist
Travel
Northern River Terrapin: Habitat, Conservation, Lifespan
All you need to know about this four-toed terrapin
Infographic
Shadow in the Swamp: The Aberrant Tiger of Sundarbans
The Sundarbans tiger is unlike its counterpart on the mainland — it drinks saline water, is an expert long-distance swimmer, and hunts with as much finesse in tidal currents as it does on land
Conservation
Lessons in Citizen Science and Community Stewardship in Latpanchar
Creating a safe haven for the rufous-necked hornbill and its habitat has brought socio-economic rewards to this little hamlet in West Bengal
Conservation
Mangroves: Forests, Coast Guards, Threats
Everything you need to know about these guardians of the coast
Explainer
The Oxbow Lake of Purbasthali and my Tryst with the Elegant Ibis
About 12O km from Kolkata, lies a birding heaven: a thriving wetland habitat full of resident and migratory species
Habitat
In Purulia, Villagers Plant Forests to Restore Lives
Villagers from Purulia in West Bengal were suffering from a groundwater crisis coupled with hot and humid weather conditions for two decades, until they realised that the solution lies growing forests around them
Hero
Amphan Aftermath: A Resilient Mangrove Forest Struggles to Survive
The deadly cyclone is a reminder that the Sundarbans is at great risk, and needs conservation efforts that go beyond political borders
Conservation
Sundarbans: Nature’s Wall of Defence
The mangrove forest of the Sundarbans is an invaluable ecosystem — it shelters diverse creatures, provides livelihood to millions, and protects an entire civilisation from the deadliest cyclones. Watch the film in English and Bengali
Video
A Forest of Folklore: Myths, Gods, and the Many Faces of the Tiger
How culture, traditions and gods of the Sundarbans are inseparable and intertwined with the forest and its most charismatic creature the swamp tiger
Wild Vault
The Sundarbans Inheritance: Protecting a People’s Legacy
One of India’s leading wildlife voices speaks of his love affair with the Sundarbans, in an excerpt from 'Wild Treasures' — a collection of stories from Asia’s most incredible natural UNESCO World Heritage sites
Book
Roots of a Salt Forest: Mangroves as Coast Guards of the Sundarbans
An incredible, resilient network of roots supports one of the world’s largest mangrove forests and protects its islands from disastrous waves, tides, cyclones, and storms
Habitat
Sultry Sundarbans: The Tide, the Forest, and the Tiger Goddess
The Sundarbans is a vast mesh of crisscrossing rivers and tributaries lined with mangrove forests. It harbours hundreds of species of flora and fauna, and an intriguing story at every bend
Habitat
Guardians of the Sundari: Reviving the Mangroves in the Sundarbans
A group of women lead the way in efforts to bring the endangered Sundari tree back from the brink in their villages
Conservation
Turning the Tide: The Batagur Baska and the Race Against Extinction
How a conservationist and his team in the Sundarbans brought the batagur, one of the most endangered turtle species in the world, back from the brink
Conservation
In the Sundarbans, the Bengal Tiger is Always Watching You
Encounters with the tiger in the riverine, mangrove forests of the Sundarbans highlights its many roles — as flagship species, apex predator, photographer’s muse, fisherman’s nightmare, ghost, fictive kin, and god
Species
Anil Mistry: The Ex-Poacher Who Rescues Tigers
How a poacher turned conservationist, and became one of the leading voices fighting for the survival of the maligned Sundarbans tiger
Hero
Tracking the Untraceable Sundarbans Tiger
The tiger of Sundarbans is unlike the tigers in rest of the country. In this excerpt from the book ‘Spell of the Tiger’, Sy Montgomery talks about why it is hard to track the mysterious, mythical ruler of the Sundarbans mangrove forest
Book
The Dramatic Tale of the Greater Adjutant
This huge bird has a connection to Kolkata that dates back to the 188Os and persists to this day
Photo Story