List of Major National Sanctuaries and Parks of India: India's first national park was in 1936 - Hailey National Park, which is now known as Jim Corbett National Park. Till 1970 there were only 5 national parks in India. In the 1980s, apart from the Wildlife Protection Act and the Project Tiger scheme, many other legal provisions came into force for the protection of wildlife.

In April 2012, the number of national parks in the country was 102, whose total area is 39919 square kilometers, which is 1.21 percent of the total land area of ​​India. There are more than 500 sanctuaries in India, which are called wild life sanctuaries. Many national parks were earlier wildlife sanctuaries. Some wildlife sanctuaries are of national importance due to the conservation of some of their main animal species:

National Parks in India- Key Points Related to UPSC IAS Exam:

  • National parks, wildlife sanctuaries, reserve forests, conservation reserves, marine reserves, community reserves, biosphere reserves come under protected areas.
  • India is one of the 17 megadiverse countries of the world. The country is best known for its plethora of flora and fauna.
  • National Parks are protected areas under IUCN Category II. India's first national park was established in 1936 in Uttarakhand, Jim Corbett National Park.
  • There were only five national parks in India till 1970. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act.

List of National Parks and Sanctuaries of India:

Sr:No: National Park/Sanctuary  State  Key wildlife animals
1 Palamu Sanctuary Jharkhand Elephant, Deer, Leopard, Sambhar, Wild Boar
2 Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary Jharkhand Elephant, Deer, Leopard, Bear, Wild Boar
3 Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary Jharkhand cheetah, bear, panther, chital, sambar, wild boar
4 Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary Bihar tiger, nilgai, gharial, sambar, wild boar
5 Gir National Park Gujarat Lion, Sambar, Leopard, Wild Boar
6 Nal Sarovar Sanctuary Gujarat water-fowl
7 Jim Corbett National Park Uttarakhand Elephant, Tiger, Cheetah, Deer, Bear, Nilgai, Sambhar, Wild Boar
8 Dudhwa National Park Uttar Pradesh Elephant, Tiger, Cheetah, Deer, Nilgai, Leopard
9 Chandraprabha Sanctuary Uttar Pradesh Cheetah, Bear, Nilgai, Leopard, Sambar
10 Bandipur National Park Karnataka Elephant, Cheetah, Leopard, Deer, Chital, Sambhar,
11 Bhadra Sanctuary Karnataka Bear, Elephant, Sambhar, Leopard, Deer
12 Someshwar Sanctuary Karnataka cheetah, wild dog, deer, panther, sambar
13 Tungabhadra Sanctuary Karnataka Leopard, chital, blackbuck, chausingha and birds
14 Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary Andhra Pradesh cheetah, panther, sambar, bear, wild boar
15 Kavla Wildlife Sanctuary Andhra Pradesh cheetah, panther, sambar, bear, wild boar, chital
16 Manas National Park Assam Elephant, Cheetah, Bear, One-horned Unicorn, Langur, Deer
17 Kaziranga National Park Assam cheetah, one-horned rhinoceros, huangli boar, buffalo
18 Ghana Bird Sanctuary Rajasthan Sambhar, black buck, wild boar, cock, gharial, Siberian crane.
19 Ranthambore Sanctuary Rajasthan Cheetah, Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Bear, Nilgai, Sambar
20 Kumbalgarh Sanctuary Rajasthan cheetah, nilgai, sambar, bear, nilgai
21 Pench National Park Madhya Pradesh cheetah, nilgai, sambar, bear, wild boar
22 Tansa Sanctuary Maharashtra Leopard, Sambhar, Chausingha, Wild Boar, Chital, Birds
23 Vorivili National Park Maharashtra Langur, deer, sambar, panther, wild boar
24 Abohar Sanctuary Punjab Wild Boar, Deer, Nilgai, Black Swan, Pigeon
25 Chikla Sanctuary Odisha crane, cormorant, pelivan, migratory bird
26 Simlipal Sanctuary Odisha Elephant, Tiger, Cheetah, Leopard, Sambar, Deer, Crocodile, Aquatic bird
27 Vedantagal Sanctuary Tamil Nadu Aquatic birds
28 Indira Gandhi Sanctuary Tamil Nadu Elephant, tiger, chital, panther, sambar, bear, wild dog, langur
29 Mudumalai Sanctuary Tamil Nadu Elephant, cheetah, panther, sambar, deer, wild dog
30 Dampha Sanctuary Mizoram cobra, cheetah, cat, pheasant
31 Periyar Sanctuary Kerala cheetah, elephant, leopard, sambar, deer, bear, nilgai, wild boar
32 Parambikulam Sanctuary Kerala cheetah, elephant, panther, sambar, deer, nilgai, wild boar
33 Kanha National Park Madhya Pradesh Tiger, Chital, Leopard, Sambhar, Barasingha
34 Panchmarhi Sanctuary Madhya Pradesh Tiger, panther, sambar, nilgai, chital, deer, bear, wild buffalo.
35 Dachigam National Park Jammu and Kashmir Leopard, black bear, red bear, deer,
36 Kishtwar National Park Jammu and Kashmir Blackbuck, Wild Yak, Tibetan Donkey
37 Bandhavgarh National Park Madhya Pradesh Tiger, Leopard, Sambar, Bear, Chakor
38 Rajiv Gandhi Sanctuary (Nagarhole National Park) Karnataka cheetah, elephant, leopard, sambar, bear, chakor, pheasant,
39 Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary Arunachal Pradesh Elephant, python, deer, sambar
40 Sultanpur Lake Sanctuary Haryana Different water birds
41 Rohilla National Park Himachal Pradesh Musk Deer, Brown Bear, Mountain Rooster, Mountain Leopard
42 Sunderbans National Park West Bengal Tiger, Cheetah, Deer, Crocodile
43 Bhagwan Mahavir Garden Goa deer, mouse, porcupine, sambar
44 Nongkhailem Sanctuary Meghalaya Elephant, Cheetah, Tiger, Deer, Sambar, Bear
45 Kiebul Lamjao National Park Manipur Deer, wild goat, various water birds
46 Rajaji National Park Uttarakhand Elephants, deer, leopards, sambhars and peacocks
47 Orang Tiger Reserve Assam tiger
48 Kamlang Tiger Reserve Arunachal Pradesh -
49 Dibang Wildlife Sanctuary Arunachal Pradesh tiger

Important facts and questions on National Parks in India:

1. What is a National Park?
Any natural habitat set aside by the government of a state or union territory for the protection of the natural environment is called a national park.

2. Which is the largest national park in India?
Hemis National Park in Ladakh is the largest national park in India. Hemis National Park is globally renowned for its snow leopards, which are believed to have the highest density of any protected area in the world.

3. Why do we need National Parks?
There are several objectives for creating a national park: It can help in the conservation of a specific region or area of ​​ecosystem os the conservation of species that are on the verge of extinction Conserving natural resources for ecological development It can preserve various species can help to

4. Which was the first Marine National Park of India?
The first Marine National Park is located in the Gulf of Kutch and was created in 1982. It is situated on the southern shore of the Gulf of Kutch in Devbhoomi Dwarka district of Gujarat state.

5. Which is the only floating national park in the country and where is it located?
The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur in India. It is the only floating national park in the world.

6. What is the difference between National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary?
A wildlife sanctuary is an area of ​​nature owned by a government or a private agency for the protection of a particular species of flora or fauna during a part of the year or in its entirety. Whereas, a national park is a reserved area of ​​government-owned land that is protected from industrialization, human exploitation, and pollution.

7. Which is the oldest national park in India?
Jim Corbett National Park is the oldest national park in India. It is located in Uttarakhand and was established in 1936.

8. How many national parks are there in India?
There are a total of 101 national parks in India (as of April 2021). They cover a total area of ​​40,564 km, which is 1.23% of the country's geographical area.

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National Parks and Sanctuaries of India GK Questions and Answers 🔗

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National Park FAQs:

Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary is located in the state of Assam. Kaziranga Wildlife Sanctuary is a famous national park and is also recognized as a World Heritage Site. The sanctuary is famous as a biographical and wildlife park, and is considered one of the major centers of Indian wildlife conservation.

Sultanpur National Park is one of the best national park in India which is located in Sultanpur village, Farukhnagar, Gurgaon district of Haryana and 50 km away from national capital Delhi.

Jim Corbett National Park is located in the state of Uttarakhand. This park is located in Nainital and Almora districts of Uttarakhand. Jim Corbett National Park is a major center of tourism and is famous for its wild life, grasslands, and deep valley views.

Bandipur National Park is located in the state of Karnataka in South India. Bandipur is famous for its wildlife and has a variety of biomes, but the dry deciduous forest is the dominant one.

The Indian Botanic Garden is located at Shibpur, Howrah, near Kolkata. It is commonly known as the 'Calcutta Botanical Garden' or the 'Indian Botanic Garden', and was formerly known as the 'Royal Botanical Garden'.

  Last update :  Fri 27 Jan 2023
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