I really love your tiger feet

We’re on the last part of our trip and it’s an early start for a 3 hour drive from Kolkata to Gadkhali where we catch the ferry to Tiger Camp.

We leave Kolkata clogged with traffic and in the midst of a massive building programme with hi-tec buildings, the new metro, the space age Bangla Gate and blocks of flats going up all around New Town and over the course of 100km we could be travelling back in time as we drive through narrow lanes and crowded towns to mud built buildings, paddy fields and water pumps.  The difference is stark.

Sun set in the Sundaban

The Sundarban forest lies in the vast delta on the Bay of Bengal formed by the confluence of some of India’s greatest rivers including the Ganges and the Brahmaputra.  At Gadkhali we’re met by Topas our local guide who shows us to the MB Baba Krishna which will be our transport for the next three days as we search for the elusive tiger.

The memsahib and her trusty guide

The Indian part of Sundarbans covers about 4,100 square kilometres, of which about 1,700 square kilometres comprises rivers, canals and creeks that vary in width from a few metres to several kilometres. The network of tidal waterways makes almost every corner of the forest accessible by boat and this is the best way to spot the various fauna that lives on the mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests.

Drying off in the sun

Come on Tigger - show yourself

The area is known for the Royal Bengal Tiger, as well as many species of birds, spotted deer, crocodiles, wild boar, lizards and snakes.

Collared Kingfisher

Red Faced Langur combing the sand for food

I spot a spotted deer

Brown winged Kingfisher

Crested Serpent Eagle

A wild boar roots around

It’s a two hour journey to Tiger Camp which will be our land base.  The accommodation is good and the grounds are teeming with birds.  During a short walk we see a couple of spotted owls perched in a tree just outside our room.

These guys are a hoot

So is this guy - a Spotted Owl

We don't get thrushes like this

Nor Starlings like this

Don't you just love them

The days are spent meandering around the waterways with occasional stops to visit viewing towers that look out over the vast forest.  The towers offer good views but often we share the vantage point with parties of excitable Indians who shout and chatter as they rush around in an effort to see ‘tiger’.  Not surprisingly, the shy and cautious Bengal Tigers are not attracted by the racket and so they go unseen.

The closest we got. Tiger Feet - Mud

It’s not much better on the water.  We glide slowly past the mangroves watching the Red Faced Langurs beach-combing for tree roots and Topas has a keen eye when it comes to spotting birds and other forest dwellers.  The Indian ‘naval’ parties are equally raucous and their often over-laden boats zoom past leaving bow waves and a riot of noise and colour.

All aboard the Rentamob Special

The Tiger Camp hosts local tribal dancing and the six guests are treated to 30 minutes of colourful entertainment.  At the end of the programme the seven performers stand in a row facing us and despite a rousing round of applause, refuse to leave until we have all made some financial recognition of their efforts.

The Dancers in their colourful dresses

The Mexican Stand-off - who blinks first?

On the second day there’s excitement as two of the guests are lucky enough to see a tiger swimming in one of the narrow channels – it gets so close to the boat that there was a fear the tiger was about to come aboard.  Their photos are fantastic and leave us green with envy.  The guests tell us that the biggest problem was stopping their crew from shouting and hopping around yelling ‘Tiger, Tiger’

Our boat crew are much more attentive and the skipper, a man of few words, expertly handles the boat.  Topas tells us that he turned to boating after his father, a honey-picker was killed by a tiger in the course of his job.  Many of the villagers face similar risks as they fish, hunt crabs or collect honey and there are up to 100 deaths each year.

Honeycomb - In two weeks a honey picker can collect up to 400kg

As we leave the jetty one morning we have to push through a queue of patients waiting for the arrival of the doctor who visits here twice a month.  When we return 10 hours later, the queue is if anything longer.

Don't talk to me about 4 hour A&E waits

Red Fiddler Crab

Can you guess? Correct, a Yellow Fidler Crab

Colourful Jungle Fowl

Night Heron

Each day we sail more in hope than expectation and despite seeing a range of interesting wildlife our main objective remains elusive to the end and we leave without a sighting.  However, chatting to another guest we now think there are better chances elsewhere and are already planning our next trip.

If only! We hope for better luck next time