| Duration: | 1 Day(s) - 0 Night(s) |
| Tour Category: | Full Day Tours |
Ratargul
Ratargul which is known as Sundarban of Sylhet is the sole swamp forest in the country. This swamp forest which has an area of about 505 acres of land is surrounded by a river and a haor and is situated in the village Ratargul, under Union Fatepur and Police Station Gawainghat. In this forest, three species of trees grow more—Hijal, Korach, and Patibet. In addition, Boron, Bet, Ikra, Khagra, Murta, and deep tall grass have made the swamp forest unique and matchless. With 73 species of plants, 25 species of mammals, 20 species of reptiles, 175 species of birds, and 9 species of amphibians live in the forest.
Explore More About Ratargul Swamp Forest:
Its area is 3, 325.61 acres including 504 acres declared as the animal sanctuary in 2015. It is known as the Sundarbans of Sylhet. This only swamp forest in Bangladesh is located 26 kilometers (16 mi) far from Sylhet. The forest's name comes from the word, "Rata" or "Pati" tree, used by the locals of Sylhet.
73 species of plants could be found in the forest till now. 80 percent of the forest area is covered with an umbrella of trees. Two layers of plants can be seen in the swamp forest. The upper layer consists of trees and the lower one consists of intense Schumannianthus dichotomous. The canopy of the plants spreads up to 15 meters in height.
Snake and worm snakes can widely be seen in this water-drowned forest. Mongooses can be seen in the dry season. Monkey and Water Monitor also reside in the forest. Heron, Egret, Kingfisher, Parrot, Bulbul, Swan, Dove Water fowl, Eagle, and Kite Bird are some of the birds of the swamp forest. Cotton Pygmy Goose and other Migratory birds and Vulture visit the forest in winter. Names of some local fishes available in the forest are Batasio, Rita, Pabda, Rohu, etc.
Tourists mostly go to see the forest in monsoon. One needs to take permission from the forest office to visit the forest. A local boat needs to be hired to travel through the swamp forest. There is a building tower inside the forest. If you go up there, you can see the whole view of the forest.
