Wildlife destinations around Kolkata

Go on an elephant safari through the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary. Catch the Royal Bengal Tiger in his own home, if you can. Lose yourself in a maze of mangrove roots in the Sunderbans. Count the branches of the gigantic banyan tree at Shibpur. There's no end to the things you can do as a wildlife enthusiast in Kolkata.

Shibpur

The Botanical Gardens at Shibpur, on the bank of the River Hooghly, are famous for a 250-year-old banyan tree, nearly the largest of its kind in the world. The Gardens are over two centuries old ad home to over 35,000 fruit trees and flowering plants. The Gardens also have a rare collection of orchids, besides coveted books on botany.

How to get there: State and tourist buses are available from Kolkata to Shibpur

The Dooars

Situated amid the forests of northern West Bengal, and watered by the Teesta, the Dooars are a must-see for the wildlife enthusiast. A stay at a forest lodge, a walk down the ruins of forts at Nalrajar Garh and Buxa Duar, an afternoon at the Jalpesh temple, elephant rides through the home of the rhino and a visit to the habitat of the Toto tribes in Totopara are but part of the traveler's itinerary here.

How to get there: Take a train from Kolkata to Siliguri, and then cover the remaining distance by road.

Sunderbans

Named after its large number of Sundari trees, the Sunderbans is a World Heritage Site that's a must-see for the wildlife-loving traveller in Kolkata. Crocodiles, cheetahs, wild boar, Rhesus monkeys, cormorants, curlews, Olive Ridley turtles and monitors roam free in this land that has but one king - the Royal Bengal Tiger. Sunderbans is also home to mangrove forests characterized by roots sticking above the water. A haven of Portuguese pirates in the past, the land is still home to many mythical constructs - among them, the goddess of the forest Ma Bonobibi, the ancestor of all tigers Dakshinaroy and Shiber Kumir or Lord Shiva's crocodile.

Visitors to Sunderbans need to get the necessary permission before they depart.

How to get there: Take the train or bus from Calcutta to Canning, and then hop on to the motorboat to Sajnekhali.

Jaldapara

Home to the endangered one-horned rhinoceros, Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Jalpaiguri district. Tall elephant grass provides the perfect home for the rhino, the Royal Bengal Tiger, a variety of deer, bison and wild fowl. The sanctuary also has provisions for elephant safaris and in winter, acts as home for a variety of migratory birds. How to get there: Take the train to Siliguri or New Jalpaiguri and motor the rest of the way