Sunderbans Tiger Reserve, created in 1973,
was the part of the then 24-Parganas Forest Division. Subsequently, the area
comprising the present tiger reserve was constituted as a Reserve Forest in
1978.
The area of the Reserve is 2585 sq. km. , covering a land area of 1600 sq. km.
and the water body occupying over 985 sq. km.
Within this area, 1330.12 sq. km. is designated as core area, which was subsequently
declared as Sundarbans National Park in 1984.
An area of 124.40 sq. km. within the core area is preserved as primitive zone
to act as a gene pool. Within the buffer zone, Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary
was created in 1976, covering an area of 362.335 sq. km.
Considering the importance of the bio-geographic gegion of Bengal River Forests
and its unique bio-diversity, the National Park area of the Reserve was included
in the list of World Heritage Sites in 1985. The entire Sundarbans area was
declared as Biosphere Reserve in 1989.