National parks in India are International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) category II protected areas. India's first national park was established in 1936, now known as Jim Corbett National Park, in Uttarakhand. In 1970, India had only five national parks. In 1972, India enacted the Wildlife Protection Act and Project Tiger in 1973 to safeguard the habitats of conservation reliant species and currently there are 106 national parks in India. Further legislation strengthening protection for wildlife was introduced in the 1980s.
There are 106 existing national parks in India covering an area of 44,402.95 km2 which is 1.35% of the geographical area of the country. In addition to the above, 75 other National Parks covering an area of 16,608 km2 (6,412 sq mi) are proposed in the Protected Area Network Report. The network of parks will go up 176 after full implementation of the above report.
Source: [1]
State & UT | State Area (km2) | No. of NP | Area (km2) | % of StateArea | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 8249 | 9 | 1,216.95 | 14.75 | |
Andhra Pradesh | 160229 | 3 | 1368.87 | 0.85 | |
Arunachal Pradesh | 83743 | 2 | 2,290.82 | 2.74 | |
Assam | 78438 | 7 | 2,664.58 | 3.40 | |
Bihar | 94163 | 1 | 335.65 | 0.36 | |
Chandigarh | 114 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
Chhattisgarh | 135191 | 3 | 2,899.08 | 2.14 | |
Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu | 491 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
Delhi | 1483 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
Goa | 3702 | 1 | 107.00 | 2.89 | |
Gujarat | 196022 | 4 | 480.12 | 0.24 | |
Haryana | 44212 | 2 | 48.25 | 0.11 | |
Himachal Pradesh | 55673 | 5 | 2,256.28 | 4.05 | |
Jammu & Kashmir | 163090 | 4 | 2432.45 | 1.49 | |
Jharkhand | 79714 | 1 | 226.33 | 0.28 | |
Karnataka | 191791 | 5 | 2,794.05 | 1.46 | |
Kerala | 38863 | 6 | 558.16 | 1.44 | |
Ladakh | 59146 | 1 | 3350.00 | 5.66 | |
Lakshadweep | 32 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
Madhya Pradesh | 308245 | 11 | 4349.14 | 1.41 | |
Maharashtra | 307713 | 5 | 1,273.60 | 0.41 | |
Manipur | 22327 | 2 | 140.00 | 0.63 | |
Meghalaya | 22429 | 2 | 267.48 | 1.19 | |
Mizoram | 21081 | 2 | 150.00 | 0.71 | |
Nagaland | 16579 | 1 | 202.02 | 1.22 | |
Odisha | 155707 | 2 | 990.70 | 0.64 | |
Puducherry | 480 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
Punjab | 50362 | 0 | 0.00 | 0.00 | |
Rajasthan | 342239 | 5 | 3,947.07 | 1.15 | |
Sikkim | 7096 | 1 | 1,784.00 | 25.14 | |
Tamil Nadu | 130058 | 5 | 827.51 | 0.64 | |
Telangana | 114840 | 3 | 19.62 | 0.02 | |
Tripura | 10486 | 2 | 36.71 | 0.35 | |
Uttar Pradesh | 240928 | 1 | 490.00 | 0.20 | |
Uttarakhand | 53483 | 6 | 4,915.02 | 9.19 | |
West Bengal | 88752 | 6 | 1,981.48 | 2.23 | |
TOTAL | 32,87,263 | 108 | 44,402.95 | 1.35 |
Name | Image | Locations | Notable Features | Notes | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Campbell Bay National Park | Great Nicobar Island | 1992 | Part of Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve | Crab-eating macaque, Nicobar treeshrew | ||
Galathea National Park | 1992 | Giant robber crab, Nicobar pigeon, Megapode | Galathea River | |||
Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park | Wandoor | 1983 | ||||
Middle Button Island National Park | Middle Button Island | 1979 | Water Lizard, Monitor lizard, Blue Whale | |||
Mount Harriet National Park | Mount Manipur | 1987 | Important bird area as attributed by BirdLife International The park is also a butterfly hotspot. | Andaman wild pigs, saltwater crocodiles, turtles, robber crabs. | ||
North Button Island National Park | North Button Island | 1979 | Dugong, Dolphin | |||
Rani Jhansi Marine National Park | Ritchie's Archipelago | 1996 | ||||
Saddle Peak National Park | Saddle Peak | 1987 | Kalpong Dam Reservoir | |||
South Button Island National Park | South Button Island | 1987 | Smallest National Park in India |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Papikonda National Park | Near Rajamahendravaram | 2008 | Important bird and biodiversity area by BirdLife International | Royal Bengal Tiger, Leopards, rusty-spotted cat, King cobra . [2] | Godavari River | |
Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Rameswaram) | Near Rameswaram | 2005 | Penna River | |||
Sri Venkateswara National Park | Near Tirumala, Seshachalam Hills and Tirumala Hills | 1989 | Yellow-throated bulbul, White-rumped vulture |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Area | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mouling National Park | Siang Valley | 1986 | 483 Km2 | Forms the western part of Dihang-Dibang biosphere reserve | takin, goral, Indian leopard, Bengal tiger, barking deer, serow and red panda | Siyom River | |
Namdapha National Park | Near Miao | 1983 | 1985 km2 | part of Mizoram–Manipur–Kachin rain forests | Sapria himalayana, Namdapha flying squirrel, red panda, dhole, Malayan sun bear, Indian wolf, Asiatic black bear, gaur, stump-tailed macaque, Assamese macaque, rhesus macaque. | Noa Dihing River |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dibru-Saikhowa National Park | Near Tinsukia | 1999 | Largest Swamp Forest in North-east India | Feral horse, Wild water buffalo, Ganges river dolphin etc. | Brahmaputra River, Lohit River, Dibru River | |
Dehing Patkai National Park | Near Digboi, Margherita | 2021 | Declared as reserve under Project Elephant and largest lowland forest in India | White-winged duck, Slow loris | Dihing river | |
Raimona National Park | Near Gossaigaon | 2021 | Part of Eastern Himalayan Foothills | Gee's golden langur | Sankosh River | |
Kaziranga National Park | Near Kaliabor | 1974 | Declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 Largest population of Indian Rhinoceros, wild water buffalo and Eastern Swamp Deer | Indian rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger, Wild water buffalo, Asian elephant, Eastern Swamp Deer | Brahmaputra River, Mora Dhiplu, Dhiplu, Mora Dhansiri | |
Manas National Park | Near Barpeta Road | 1990 | Declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 contiguous with Royal Manas National Park, Bhutan Also a biosphere reserve and Elephant reserve | Indian Elephants, Wild water Buffalo, Capped langur, Rare species such as,Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur and pygmy hog | Manas River, Beki River | |
Nameri National Park | NearBhalukpong | 1998 | Dendrobium Orchid, Bengal Tiger, Clouded Leopard, Asian fairy-bluebird | Kameng River, Other tributaries Nameri, Dinai, Diji etc. | ||
Orang National Park | North bank of the Brahmaputra river | 1999 | The Great Indian rhinoceros (VU), pygmy hog (EN), Asian elephant, wild water buffalo (EN), Bengal tiger, hog deer, Gangetic dolphin (EN), Indian pangolin (EN) | Named Rajiv Gandhi National Park in 1992, but rolled back because of public opposition | The river Dhanshiri flows along the western edge of the park |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Valmiki National Park | Near Valmiki Nagar, Bagaha | 1978 | Home of Tharu people in India | Bengal tiger, Indian gaur, Indian rhinoceros, Asian black bear, Indian elephant, Indian leopard | Gandaki River, Sonha and Pachnad rivers, Burhi Gandak River, Pandai River etc. |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Guru Ghasidas National Park | Near Ambikapur, Manendragarh, Chirimiri | 1981 | Largest national park of Chhattisgarh | |||
Indravati National Park | Near Dantewada | 1982 | Wild Buffaloes, Tigers, Hill Mynas | Indravati River | ||
Kanger Ghati National Park | Near Jagdalpur | 1982 | Indoreonectes evezardi |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mollem National Park | Near Molem | 1978 | Famous Dudhsagar Falls located inside also a Mahadev Temple of Kadamba architecture is also located inside |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Blackbuck National Park, Velavadar | Near Bhavnagar, Vallabhipur, Dholera, Dhandhuka | 1976 | A grassland ecosystem for conservation of Blackbuck, Lesser florican Successful conservation programs for the blackbuck, wolf and lesser florican, bustard | Blackbucks, Indian grey wolf, striped hyena, Bengal fox, golden jackal, jungle cat and many other small mammals | ||
Gir Forest National Park | Near Sasangir, Tulsishyam, Talala, Gir Gadhada | 1965 | Only habitat of Asiatic Lion | Asiatic lion, Indian Leopard, Stripped Hyna, Golden Jackle | Hiran, Machhundri, Raval and Shingoda Rivers | |
Marine National Park, Gulf of Kutch | Near Dwarka, Bet Dwarka, Okha | 1982 | There are 42 island and park is situated on coral reefs | Corals, sponges, jellyfish, endangered sea turtles such as green sea turtles, olive ridleys and leatherbacks, dugongs, Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, blue whales | ||
Vansda National Park | Near vansda city | 1979 | Leopard, Dhole, Rhesus Macaque, Common Palm Civet, Hanuman Langur, Small Indian Civet, Four-Horned Antelope, Wild Boar, Indian Porcupine, Barking Deer, Striped Hyena, Jungle Cat, Flying Squirrel, Pangolin and Indian Giant Squirrel. | There are 443 species of flowering plants. This includes teak, sadad, khakhro, kadad, humb, timru, kalam, bamboo, dudhkod, mahudo, behada, umaro, kusum, tanach, asan, shimlo, ambla, sisam, chopadi bondaro, etc. There is a variety of colourful orchids at Ambika river |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kalesar National Park | Near Bilaspur(Yamunanagar district), Paonta Sahib | 2003 | Located in Sivalik Hills | Yamuna River | ||
Sultanpur National Park | Near Gurugram | 1991 | Declared as Ramsar Wetland in 2021 |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Great Himalayan National Park | Near Kullu | 1985 | Declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 popular trekking and ecotourism destination | Bharal, snow leopard, Himalayan brown bear, Himalayan tahr, Musk deer | Sainj River, Parvati River, Beas River, Tirthan River, Jiwa Nal River | |
Inderkilla National Park | Near Manali | 2010 | Beas River | |||
Khirganga National Park | Near Kasol | 2010 | Popular destination for Hiking, Canyoning | Parvati River | ||
Pin Valley National Park | Near Karzey | 1987 | Cold Desert area | Cedrus deodara, Himalayan snowcock, Chough | Pin River | |
Simbalbara National Park | Near Paonta Sahib | 2010 | Goral, Sambar deer, Chital |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Flora and Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dachigam National Park | Near Srinagar | 1981 | Only area where Hangul is found [3] | Hangul, Thar, Leopard cat, Musk deer, Snow Leopard, Himalayan black bear, Himalayan brown bear, Otter | Sarband Reservoir | |
Kishtwar National Park | Near Kishtwar | 1981 | Himalayan snowcock, Brown bear | Marusudar River, Chenab River | ||
Kazinag National Park | Near Baramulla | 1992 | Located on Line of Control | Markhor, Himalayan musk deer, Golden eagle, Snow pigeon, Flora- Deodar, Fir, Spruce, Kail | Jhelum River | |
Salim Ali National Park | Near Srinagar | 1986 | Turned into the Royal Springs Golf Course | Hangul, Brown bear, Indian paradise flycatcher, Himalayan Serow, Ring Dove, The Lesser Kestrel | Dal lake |
National Parks not under the administration of the Government of India
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Betla National Park | Near Medininagar | 1974 | Tiger, Indian bison, elephant, hyenas, monkey, leopard | North Koel River |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Hemis National Park | Largest national Park of India |
National Parks not under the administration of the Government of India
Name | Location | Notable Features | Formed | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Bandhavgarh National Park | District Umaria | Very high tiger density, so the saying Gaurs reintroduced from Kanha National Park Panpatha wildlife sanctuary | 1968 | Bengal tiger, striped hyena, caracal, gaur, sambar deer, nilgai, barking deer, chital, | Sone River, Ban sagar Lake |
Dinosaur Fossil National Park | 2011 | ||||
Ghughua Fossil National Park | Dindori district | 1983 | |||
Kanha National Park | Mandla district | largest of the state of Madhya Pradesh with area 941.793 km2. | 1955 | Barasingha or swamp deer | Halo and Banjar rivers |
Kuno National Park | Sheopur & Morena Districts Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion | Area 748.761 km2. | 2018 | Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project, India's first cheetah sanctuary | Kuno River |
Madhav National Park | Shivpuri District | Sakhya Sagar, a man-made reservoir within the park, has been designated as a Ramsar site since 2022. | 1959 | ||
Panna National Park | Panna District | Ken Gharial Sanctuary | 1981 | Ken river | |
Pench National Park [9] | Pench Tiger Reserve | 1975 | Rudyard Kipling's 'Jungle Book' was set in this NP. | Pench river | |
Sanjay National Park [10] | Narmada Valley | dry deciduous forests ecoregion, Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve | 1981 | ||
Satpura National Park | Narmadapuram District | Bori and Pachmarhi wildlife sanctuaries | 1981 | - | |
Van Vihar National Park | Bhopal district | 1979 |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Chandoli National Park | 2004 | ||
Gugamal National Park | |||
Navegaon National Park | |||
Sanjay Gandhi National Park | , Indian Leopard, Rhesus Macaque, Bonnet Macaque, Spotted Deer, Hanuman Langur, Indian Flying Fox, Indian Hare, Barking Deer, Porcupine, Asian Palm Civet, Mouse Deer | ||
Tadoba Andhari National Park |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Keibul Lamjao National Park | Loktak Lake | ||
Shirui National Park | Famous for Shirui Lily; Tropical Forests all over except at hilltops where there are temperate forests | Tragopan, Tiger and Leopard | A number of rivers originate here |
Name | Location | Notable Features | Fauna | Flora | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Balphakram National Park | south of Garo Hills | Balphakram means 'land of the eternal wind' according to the myth of the Garos . | Wild water buffalo, red panda, elephant and eight cat species, including the tiger and marbled cat | grassland, bamboo forest, tropical deciduous trees and carnivorous plants like the pitcher-plant and Drosera | |
Nokrek National Park | approximately 2 km away from Tura Peak, is located in the middle of the West, East and North Garo Hills Districts | UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Murlen National Park | Is close to the Chin Hills. It lies north of Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary in the same district | ||
Phawngpui Blue Mountain National Park | It bears the name of the mountain Phawngpui, often called the Blue Mountain of Mizoram, which is the highest mountain peak in the state, reaching 2,157 m | Chhimtuipui River flowing towards Burma |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Ntangki National Park | The name "Ntangki" is derived from the Zeme dialect of the Zeliangrong Nagas. | hoolock gibbon, golden langur, hornbill, Asian palm civet, black stork, tiger, white-breasted kingfisher, monitor lizard, python and sloth bear In 2022, Asian forest tortoises (Manouria emys) were reintroduced into Ntangki National Park in collaboration with the Turtle Survival Alliance and Wildlife Conservation Society India |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Important landmarks inside |
---|---|---|---|
Bhitarkanika National Park | A ramsar site, Gahirmatha Beach and Marine Sanctuary are to the east, separating the swamp region and mangroves from the Bay of Bengal | Mangroves, saltwater crocodile, white crocodile, Indian python, black ibis, wild pigs, rhesus monkeys, olive ridley sea turtle, chital | Brahmani River, Baitarani River, Pathsala |
Simlipal National Park | It is part of the Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, which includes three protected areas, Similipal Tiger Reserve, Hadgarh Wildlife Sanctuary and Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary. It is UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves | Tiger, leopard, Asian elephant, sambar, barking deer, gaur, jungle cat, wild boar |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Desert National Park | Chinkara (Gazella bennettii), Indian desert cat, demoiselle crane, great Indian bustard and MacQueen's bustard. | ||
Keoladeo National Park | UNESCO World Heritage Site Ramsar Wetland | ||
Mukundara Hills National Park | National Chambal Sanctuary is part of the national park | Chambal river, Kali river, Ahu river, Ramzan river. | |
Ranthambore National Park | ecoregion includes Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests | Tiger Reserve. | Banas, Chambal |
Sariska Tiger Reserve | Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion It is an important biodiversity area in the Northern Aravalli leopard and wildlife corridor |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Khangchendzonga National Park | UNESCO World Heritage Site. Houses the third highest peak on the planet, Mt. Kangchenjunga (Mt. Everest is first, Mt. K2 is second). The Zemu glacier, one of the largest in Asia, is located within the park. | Musk deer, snow leopard, Himalayan tahr, dhole, sloth bear, viverrids, Himalayan black bear, red panda, Tibetan wild ass, Himalayan blue sheep, serow, goral and takin | Teesta (to the east) |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Flora | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|
Indira Gandhi Sanctuary and National Park | Also called as Anaimalai Tiger Reserve | Tigers, leopards, elephants, wildboars, deers, dhole. | ||
Guindy National Park | Has more than 2000 chitals, 493 blackbucks and 84 jackals. | |||
Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park | has 8 species of whales and 21 small coral islands | Mangroove species like Rhizophora, Avicennia, Bruguiera, Ceriops and Lumnitzera. | ||
Mudumalai National Park | Part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve. Second oldest National Park in India. Largest National Park in Tamil Nadu. | Bengal tiger, indian leopard, dhole, golden jackal, sloth bear, Indian elephants, gray langur, Lion tailed macaque, bonnet macaque, gaur, sambar deer, chital deer, Indian muntjac, Indian spotted chevrotain, wild boar Rodents include the Indian giant squirrel and the red giant flying squirrel | Moyar River | |
Mukurthi National Park | Part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve and is also UNESCO World Heritage Site.The park was created to protect its keystone species, the Nilgiri tahr characterized by montane grasslands and shrublands interspersed with sholas | Nilgiri tahr |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Mahavir Harina Vanasthali National Park | |||
Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park | |||
Mrugavani National Park |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Bison (Rajbari) National Park | |||
Clouded Leopard National Park |
Name | Image | Location | Formed | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Dudhwa National Park | Near Palia Kalan, Gola Gokarannath | 1977 | Park is home of world's half population of Barasingha Also a tiger sanctuary under Project Tiger | Barasingha, Bengal tiger | Sharda River |
Name | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|
Gangotri National Park | Gaumukh Glacier | Ganga | |
Govind Pashu Vihar National Park | |||
Jim Corbett National Park | First national park in India (established in 1936 as Hailey National Park). Report titled ‘Status of Tigers Co-predators and Prey in India’, released by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for 2018-19 revealed that national park has 14 tigers per 100 square kilometers which is highest in India. Dhikala grasslands | Ramganga | |
Nanda Devi National Park | UNESCO World Heritage Site, UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve | ||
Rajaji National Park | Mainly known for elephants, tigers, leopards and several species of birds, reptiles and mammals. | Ganga river | |
Valley of Flowers National Park | UNESCO World Heritage Site, Most beautiful national park in the world |
Name | Location | Notable Features | Fauna | Rivers and lakes inside the national park |
---|---|---|---|---|
Buxa Tiger Reserve | The Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan is contiguous to the north of BTR To the south-west, the Chilapata Forests form an elephant corridor to the Jaldapara Wildlife Sanctuary | "Terai Eco-System" Northern boundary along international border with Bhutan and eastern boundary touches Assam The fragile "Terai Eco-System" constitutes a part of this reserve Buxa, serves as an international corridor for Asian elephant migration between India and Bhutan Rajabhatkhawa Vulture Breeding Centre was established by Bombay Natural History Society to emulate the success of Jatayu Conservation Breeding Centre, Pinjore | Indian leopard, Bengal tiger, clouded leopard, giant squirrel, gaur, chital and wild boar Eurasian griffon, Amur falcon Endangered species include leopard cat, Bengal florican, regal python, Chinese pangolin, hispid hare, hog deer lesser adjutant, white-rumped vulture, slender-billed vulture, chestnut-breasted partridge, rufous necked hornbill, ferruginous pochard and great hornbill | |
Gorumara National Park | The park is rich in large herbivores including Indian rhinoceros, gaur, Asian elephant, sloth bear, chital, and sambar deer | Jaldhaka, Naora | ||
Jaldapara National Park | Indian rhinoceros | Torsa River | ||
Neora Valley National Park | Connected to the Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary of Bhutan | red panda (EN) | ||
Singalila National Park | Tonglu mountain in the Singalila Ridge on the border with Nepal | Rangeet River, Rammam river | ||
Sundarbans National Park | UNESCO World Heritage Site Ramsar site Tiger reserve |
A nature reserve is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, funga, or features of geological or other special interest, which is reserved and managed for purposes of conservation and to provide special opportunities for study or research. They may be designated by government institutions in some countries, or by private landowners, such as charities and research institutions. Nature reserves fall into different IUCN categories depending on the level of protection afforded by local laws. Normally it is more strictly protected than a nature park. Various jurisdictions may use other terminology, such as ecological protection area or private protected area in legislation and in official titles of the reserves.
Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation movement initiated in India to protect the endangered tiger. The project was initiated in 1973 by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of the Government of India. As of March 2024, there are 55 protected areas that have been designated as tiger reserves under the project. As of 2023, there were 3,682 wild tigers in India, which is almost 75% of the world's wild tiger population.
Jim Corbett National Park is a national park in India located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand state. The first national park in India, it was established in 1936 during the British Raj and named Hailey National Park after William Malcolm Hailey, a governor of the United Provinces in which it was then located. In 1956, nearly a decade after India's independence, it was renamed Corbett National Park after the hunter and naturalist Jim Corbett, who had played a leading role in its establishment and had died the year before. The park was the first to come under the Project Tiger initiative.
The Pachmarhi Biosphere Reserve is a non-use conservation area and biosphere reserve in the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh state in Central India.
The Chambal River is a tributary of the Yamuna River in Central and Northern India, and thus forms part of the drainage system of the Ganges. The river flows north-northeast through Madhya Pradesh, running for a brief time through Rajasthan, then forming the boundary between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh before turning southeast to join the Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh state.
National Chambal Sanctuary, also called the National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, is a 5,400 km2 (2,100 sq mi) tri-state protected area in northern India for the protection of the Critically Endangered gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle and the Endangered Ganges river dolphin. Located on the Chambal River near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, it was first declared in Madhya Pradesh in 1978, and now constitutes a long narrow eco-reserve co-administered by the three states. Within the sanctuary, the pristine Chambal River cuts through mazes of ravines and hills with many sandy beaches.
There are four categories of protected areas in India, constituted under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Tiger reserves consist of areas under national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. There are 53 tiger reserves in India. As of January 2023, the protected areas of India cover 173,629.52 square kilometres (67,038.73 sq mi), roughly 5.28% of the total geographical area of the country.
Vansda National Park, also known as Bansda National Park, is a protected area which represents the thick woodlands of the Dangs and southern Gujarat, and is situated in the Vansda tehsil, Navsari District of Gujarat state, India. Riding on the banks of Ambika River and measuring roughly 24 km2 in area, the park lies about 65 km east of the town of Chikhali on the National Highway 48, and about 80 km northeast of the city of Valsad. Vansda, the town from which the name of the park is derived, is an important trading place for the surrounding area where the majority of the population is represented by adivasis. Vansda-Waghai state highway runs through the park, so does the narrow gauge rail link connecting Waghai to Billimora.
The Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests, presently known as East Deccan moist deciduous forests, is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in east-central India. The ecoregion covers an area of 341,100 square kilometers (131,700 sq mi), extending across portions of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana states.
Kuno National Park is a national park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Madhya Pradesh, India. It derives its name from Kuno River. It was established in 1981 as a wildlife sanctuary with an initial area of 344.686 km2 (133.084 sq mi) in the Sheopur and Morena districts. In 2018, it was given the status of a national park. It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project is an initiative of the Indian Government to provide safeguards to the Asiatic lion from extinction in the wild by means of reintroduction. The last wild population of the Asiatic lion is found in the region of Gir Forest National Park, in the state of Gujarat. The single population faces the threats of epidemics, natural disasters and other anthropogenic factors. The project aims to establish a second independent population of Asiatic lions at the Kuno National Park in the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. However, the proposed translocation has been bitterly contested by the state government.
Private protected areas of India refer to protected areas inside India whose land rights are owned by an individual or a corporation / organization, and where the habitat and resident species are offered some kind of protection from exploitative activities like hunting, logging, etc. The Government of India did not provide any legal or physical protection to such entities, but in an important amendment introduced by the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act of 2002, has agreed to protect communally owned areas of ecological value.
Pench Tiger Reserve or Pench National Park is one of the premier tiger reserves of India and the first one to straddle across two states - Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. The reference to Pench is mostly to the tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh.
The Kameng Elephant Reserve is an Elephant Reserve located in the Himalayan foothills of Arunachal Pradesh, India, in the districts of West Kameng and East Kameng.
The tiger reserves in India were set up as a part of Project Tiger initiated in 1973 and are administered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority of Government of India. As of November 2024, there are 56 protected areas that have been designated as tiger reserves. As of 2023, there were 3,682 wild tigers in India, which is almost 75% of the world's wild tiger population.
The Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary or the Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary is a high altitude wildlife sanctuary located in the easternmost reaches of the Karakoram range in Leh district, in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It was established in 1987 and covers an area of about 5,000 square kilometres (500,000 ha). It is an important wildlife sanctuary due to being one of the few places in India with a migratory population of the Chiru or Tibetan Antelope.