Current Context : The National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) has approved the West Bengal government’s proposal to expand the Sundarbans Tiger Reserve (STR). With this, STR has become the second-largest tiger reserve in India, after Andhra Pradesh’s Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve.

ABOUT SUNDARBANS TIGER RESERVE (STR)

• Location: Coastal districts of West Bengal
• Uniqueness: World’s only mangrove forest with a significant tiger population (shared with Bangladesh).
• Boundaries:
  • East – International boundary with Bangladesh (rivers Harinbhanga, Raimangal, Kalindi)
  • South – Bay of Bengal
  • West – River Matla
  • North-West – Rivers Bidya & Gomdi
• Status: National Park area is a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site and part of Sundarban Biosphere Reserve.