The fear was so indubitably conspicuous on the face of each one of us that even a faint rustling sound emanating from swaying leaves was just enough to divert our concentration from the tiger census technique’s demonstration exercise to the direction of the sound. What a paradox - none of us was ready to confront a tiger at this juncture, though tiger-sighting in a wilderness area is always a passion for all and sundry. The guards armed with ‘firearms and ‘shoulder tiger-guards’ and those holding the nylon-net were providing a protective cover to the park staff and few volunteers from XXIII Diploma Officer trainees engaged in preparing plaster of Paris cast of tiger pug-marks. This scene was being enacted on one of the 56 low lying conglomeration of islands in world’s only mangrove tiger land – the Sundarbans. Later, Shri Pradeep Vyas, the field director very proudly informed us that couple of months ago such drill was actually executed over 17 blocks and 71 compartments during tiger census operation.

With plants, animals, and dependant human populations exhibiting striking morphological and behavioural adaptations, the Sundarbans could be ranked as one of the best places to prove Darwin’s theory of the ‘Survival of the Fittest’. The uniqueness of STR, the first on the agenda of the month-long Management tour for the Officers of XXIII Diploma in the Advanced Wildlife Management and also first visit for many of us, was evident right from the time we were half way down on Kolkata-Sonakheli road-route when suddenly the vegetable fields were replaced with fish and tiger prawn culture fields (bheries)-a sure survival adaptation for about 3.5 million human population in response to changes in the water-regime. Road journey followed a two-hour journey through waterway in a departmental lounge from Sonakheli to Sajnakheli. We were witness to yet another adaptation for survival by the people surrounded by the saline water. The earthen embankments (4500 km long) have been erected all along the riverbank as dykes to protect plain reclaimed habitation areas (below tidal water level) from saline water over-running these area due to frequent flooding often accompanied by thunderstorms, called locally ‘kalbaisakhi’. These below tidal water level areas were under mangrove forests till 1833 that have since been reclaimed and colonized. Not that the huge reservoir of saline water is of no use to the human populations, rather, the same is one of the major sources of livelihood earning for each household – and the fleets of country boats and floating plastic drums (indicating network of fishing nets underneath) were a testimony to this obligatory dependency. The poor agricultural outputs due to saline water are also compensated through collection of various minor forest products: firewood, honey, bee-wax, etc. From late eighties onwards, collection of tiger prawn seeds in large number from the STR area is now a big management problem, but a must for local people to supplement their depleting natural stock in bheries.

Among plants, 64 tree species constitute typical littoral forests of STR well adapted to the peculiar estuarine conditions of high salinity, lack of soil erosion and daily inundation by high tides. The assured survival of progeny through Vivipary and presence of Pneumatophores for breathing are two most notable adaptations exhibited by key plant species to circumvent the adverse conditions. The dynamic floristic changes exhibited by many plant species are further adaptations following changes in salinity, and the continuous cycle of erosion and deposition. The plant communities are also continuously adjusting to these new conditions.

As our launch drew closer to Sajnakheli launch station, another unique feature confronted us – the crab eating macaques! Well, rather to say that the macaques eating crab because crab-eating macaques being one of the 15 primate species in India are only confined to the Nicobar group of Islands. Here, these were the rhesus macaques feeding hermit crabs to supplement their plants’ diet, and for doing so, the macaques were even required to dextrously manoeuvre their movements to avoid landing their feet on needle-like piercing pneumatophores – this only speaks of the obligatory dependency on this diet.

Thanks to the field director and his team that they could arrange for a presentation on this unique area right on the first evening of our sojourn that could satiate most of our such queries that were baffling us because of the unorthodox nature of this area. In the words of the field director himself, I quote, ‘no traditional and orthodox management practices work in this area’. At the end of the presentation it was obvious that in tune with the uniqueness of the area the nature and infestation of various conservation problems were also unique calling for some innovative and non-traditional remedial measures to which authorities are trying to keep pace with and are responding effectively. The major constraints in management are also either the necessity for the survival of locals and/or cycle of the natural processes that can not be contained or altered: Reclamation of the area through embankments are a necessity for humans but a constraint in the free flow of tidal water and in terms of loss of natural mangrove vegetation and ecosystem; regular tidal action of the river causes erosion on the banks of the creeks and rivers; man-animal conflicts are resulting more due to the biological needs of the tigers and survival needs of the humans and both are must; and presence of various small islands separated by interconnected tidal creeks and mashes with 2000 km. of inter-connected waterways of creeks and rivers causes hindrances in easy movement from one place to another for more effective regular patrolling and periodic monitoring.

This was also a first time experience for me to stay overnight in a launch (Field Director, STR has a special launch with all facilities aboard). Besides relishing the sumptuous dinner at the makeshift dinning table (it could be collapsed to change into a bed) with Shri Pradeep Vyas, FD, it also allowed me and my WII colleague Shri Sanjay Srivastava to listen to the FD more patiently on various measures that he and his staff are undertaking and contemplating to undertake for: