The 38,500 km² Sunderland National Park comprises the world's largest littoral mangrove belt in the delta formed by the confluence of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers. The mangrove forests stretch from the coast, about 80 km (50 miles) into the Bangladeshi hinterland. Apart from mangroves, the park also includes some of the last remaining swaths of jungle that once covered the entire Gangetic plain. About 30% of the reserve consists of water.
The Sundarbans have been a wildlife sanctuary since 1966 and it is thought that some 30,000 spotted deer and 400 Royal Bengal tigers roam the area. Several gypsy fishing families have permission to live in the park. They earn their living by catching fish using trained otters.
You can only visit the Sundarbans National Park after obtaining a permit from the Divisional Forest Office in Khulna. Once you have the permit, you can rent a boat in Mongla, or Dhangmari. From each of those places, you can get to Hiron Point, where quides are available to take you into the park.
Sundarbans National Park is on the Bay of Bengal, 175 km southwest of Dhaka. It has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1987.
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