Why do some Sundarbans honey collectors wear a mask on the back of their heads?

To confuse tigers, which tend to attack from behind

Bonbibi, worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims in the Sundarbans, is believed to be what?

A forest goddess who protects people

A tiger queen who rules the islands

A river spirit that brings great floods

Many Sundarbans mangroves have roots that stick up out of the mud. What are they for?

Catching small fish at high tide

Storing fresh water for the dry season

Sundarbans Quiz: Mangroves, Tigers and Tides of Bangladesh

This Sundarbans quiz explores the vast tidal forest shared by Bangladesh and India, with questions on the sundari tree, the delta of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna, honey collectors and their masks, the forest goddess Bonbibi, breathing roots, Irrawaddy dolphins, saltwater crocodiles, Cyclone Sidr, the gateway city of Khulna and the daily tides. Ten questions.

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🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 90 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 90s

Trees
The Sundarbans is thought to take its name from which tree?
Rivers
The Sundarbans grows on the delta formed by the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and which other river?
Safety
Why do some Sundarbans honey collectors wear a mask on the back of their heads?
Beliefs
Bonbibi, worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims in the Sundarbans, is believed to be what?
Roots
Many Sundarbans mangroves have roots that stick up out of the mud. What are they for?
Dolphins
Which rare dolphin with a rounded head and no beak lives in Sundarbans waters?
Reptiles
Which large reptile, the biggest living reptile species, hunts in Sundarbans creeks?
Storms
In 2007, the Sundarbans helped protect coastal Bangladesh from which powerful cyclone?
Cities
Which Bangladeshi city is a main gateway for boat trips into the Sundarbans?
Tides
How often do tides flood and drain the Sundarbans forest each day?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: The Sundarbans is thought to take its name from which tree?
Answer: The sundari tree
Sundari mangroves grow tall in the less salty parts of the forest. Their hard wood was once prized for boat building.
Q2: The Sundarbans grows on the delta formed by the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and which other river?
Answer: The Meghna
Together the rivers form one of the largest deltas in the world. The forest is crossed by hundreds of channels and creeks.
Q3: Why do some Sundarbans honey collectors wear a mask on the back of their heads?
Answer: To confuse tigers, which tend to attack from behind
The collectors, called mouals, travel deep into the forest each spring. Tiger attacks have long been a real danger for forest workers.
Q4: Bonbibi, worshipped by both Hindus and Muslims in the Sundarbans, is believed to be what?
Answer: A forest goddess who protects people
People pray to her before entering the forest. Stories say she protects humans from the tiger demon Dakshin Rai.
Q5: Many Sundarbans mangroves have roots that stick up out of the mud. What are they for?
Answer: Breathing in waterlogged soil
These roots are called pneumatophores. They take in air at low tide, because the mud has very little oxygen.
Q6: Which rare dolphin with a rounded head and no beak lives in Sundarbans waters?
Answer: The Irrawaddy dolphin
The Ganges river dolphin, which is almost blind, lives there too. Bangladesh has created sanctuaries to protect both species.
Q7: Which large reptile, the biggest living reptile species, hunts in Sundarbans creeks?
Answer: The saltwater crocodile
Saltwater crocodiles can grow more than 6 meters long. The Sundarbans also has monitor lizards, turtles and many snakes.
Q8: In 2007, the Sundarbans helped protect coastal Bangladesh from which powerful cyclone?
Answer: Cyclone Sidr
The mangroves slowed winds and storm surges, saving many lives inland. But the forest itself was badly damaged.
Q9: Which Bangladeshi city is a main gateway for boat trips into the Sundarbans?
Answer: Khulna
Boats leave from Khulna and the nearby port of Mongla. Trips often last several days, with nights spent on the boat.
Q10: How often do tides flood and drain the Sundarbans forest each day?
Answer: Twice
Islands appear and disappear as the water rises and falls. The tides shape the forest and the lives of every animal in it.

Sundarbans Quiz – The Beautiful Forest of the Delta

The Sundarbans is the largest mangrove forest in the world, covering about 10,000 square kilometers across Bangladesh and India. Around 60 percent lies in Bangladesh. It grows on the delta where the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers meet the Bay of Bengal. Both the Bangladeshi and Indian parts are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The forest is a maze of islands, mudflats and channels, flooded and drained by tides twice a day. Mangrove trees such as the sundari, which may have given the forest its name, are adapted to salty water. Their breathing roots, called pneumatophores, poke out of the mud to take in air.

The Sundarbans is famous as home to the Bengal tiger, which swims between islands and hunts in the forest. It also shelters saltwater crocodiles, spotted deer, Irrawaddy and Ganges river dolphins, monitor lizards, kingfishers and mudskippers. Many species are endangered.

Millions of people depend on the forest for fish, crabs, honey and wood. Honey collectors wear masks on the backs of their heads to confuse tigers, and many pray to Bonbibi, the forest goddess. The mangroves also protect the coast from cyclones, as they did during Cyclone Sidr in 2007.

Visitors explore by boat from Khulna and Mongla, watching for tigers and dolphins along the creeks. Rising seas and salinity threaten the forest.

Scientists and local communities work together to protect the Sundarbans, planting mangroves, patrolling against poaching and studying how rising salt levels affect the trees. The forest is also listed as a Ramsar wetland of international importance.

This quiz covers the geography, wildlife, people and protection of the Sundarbans.

What This Quiz Teaches

This quiz is perfect for nature lovers, students and geography fans.

Where the Sundarbans' name comes from
The great rivers that form the delta
Honey collectors and the goddess Bonbibi
Breathing roots, dolphins and crocodiles
How the forest protected Bangladesh from Cyclone Sidr
Khulna and the daily tides

Quick Facts About the Sundarbans

The Sundarbans is home to hundreds of Bengal tigers.
Mudskippers are fish that can walk and breathe out of water.
Fishermen in some areas use trained otters to catch fish.
The forest stores large amounts of carbon in its soil.
Many islands have no permanent human settlements.
Winter, from November to February, is the best time to visit.