List of wildlife sanctuaries of India

Map
Wildlife sanctuaries in India

A Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or other interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide opportunities for study or research. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for the establishment of Protected Areas in India.[1]

Wildlife sanctuaries of India, are classified as IUCN Category IV protected areas. As of January 2023, 567 wildlife sanctuaries have been established, covering 122,564.86 km2 (47,322.56 sq mi).[2] Among these, Project Tiger governs 53 tiger reserves, which are of special significance for the conservation of the Bengal tiger.[3] Additionally, there are 33 Elephant Reserves covering 80,778 km2 (31,189 sq mi) under the Project Elephant, which may overlap with the wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves.[4][5][6]

Established in 1936, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu was the first bird sanctuary and the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary was established later in 1940.[7][8] Spanning 7,506.22 km2 (2,898.17 sq mi), Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat is the largest wildlife sanctuary in the country.[9] Andaman and Nicobar Islands has the most number of wildlife sanctuaries (97).[10]

  1. ^ "What is the difference between Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks". India Today. 24 September 2020. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Wildlife Database Cell". Wildlife Institute of India. 4 January 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  3. ^ "Tiger Reserve List". National Tiger Conservation Authority. 25 March 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023.
  4. ^ "33 Elephant Reserves established in 14 major elephant States" (Press release). Government of India. 14 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  5. ^ Elephant Reserves in India, an atlas (PDF) (Report). Government of India. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  6. ^ Elephant Task Force report (PDF). Government of India (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Vedanthangal and Karikili Bird Sanctuary". Bird life international. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  8. ^ Hegde, R. & Enters, T. (2000). "Forest products and household economy: a case study from Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary, Southern India". Environmental Conservation. 27 (3): 250–259. doi:10.1017/S037689290000028X. S2CID 86160884.
  9. ^ National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in India (PDF). Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India (Report). November 2021. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Andaman and Nicobar". Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India. Retrieved 1 June 2024.