Tengra Giri Eco Park, a wildlife sanctuary, has been built in Sonakata Union, 24 km away from Taltali Upazila of Barguna district, with a large forest area of a part of Sundarbans. Another tourist attraction is the Sonakata Beach located next to Tengragiri Ecopark. Declared as a reserved forest on July 12, 1960, this forest area is known by different names as Fatrar Forest/Patharghatar Forest/Haringhatar Forest etc. but in 1967 the forest area was renamed as Tengragiri Forest. It is the second largest tropical forest in Bangladesh after the Sundarbans, which is flooded twice a day by the tides. Due to the wonderful mixture of saline and sweet soil, this forest is home to numerous rows of extinct species of trees, birds and reptiles. The lush green dense mangrove forests of Tengragiri, the scurrying of red crabs on the beach shoreline, the chirping of birds and the beautiful view of the sunset on the horizon in the late afternoon are sure to fascinate any tourist. And that's why many travelers come from far and wide to get lost in the natural beauty and vastness of the sea, avoiding the urban noise.
The Tengragiri forest stretches for 9 km in east west and 4 km in north south over an area of about 4048 hectares. To the east of the forest lies Kuakata, to the west the Sundarbans and Harinbaria, to the north Rakhine and to the south the open Bay of Bengal. This naturally created forest is rich in various breathing plants including Keora, Garan, Singra, Hetal, Gewa, Ora. Besides, there are fresh water ponds, numerous small canals, forest department rest houses and picnic corners. Heading south through the undergrowth of the Tengragiri/Fatra forest, the 4 km long quiet golden beach comes into view. Standing on the beach, the beautiful view of sunrise and sunset will enchant anyone who loves beauty. And if you want, you can enjoy the biodiversity of Gohin forest and the excitement of sea waves by trawler.
Sonakata Ecopark Tourism Center has been established at Sakhina Bit of Tengragiri Reserve Forest under the Ministry of Forests and Environment during the financial year 2011-12. In addition to a crocodile breeding center, this ecopark is home to various species of wildlife such as deer, pigs, leopards, pythons, monkeys, monkeys and forest cats. Currently this forest has been declared as a vulture safe zone.
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