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Wildlife sanctuaries in India
A wildlife sanctuary in India 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 March 2025,[update] 573 wildlife sanctuaries have been established, covering 123,762.56 km2 (47,784.99 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) established under the Project Elephant , some of which overlap with the boundaries of declared wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves.[ 4] [ 5] [ 6]
Established in 1936, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu was the first bird sanctuary in the country 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]
Andaman and Nicobar Islands [ edit ]
Barren Island Wildlife Sanctuary
Barren Island has the only active volcano in India.[ 11] [ 12]
Narcondam Island Wildlife Sanctuary
Turtle hatchlings at Turtle Islands Wildlife Sanctuary
Endemic Narcondam hornbill at Narcondam Island Wildlife Sanctuary .[ 13]
Birds at Godavari River estuary in Coringa Wildlife Sanctuary
Blackbucks at Rollapadu Sanctuary
Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary
Rufous-necked Hornbill in Mehao
Indian one-horned rhino in Pabitora Wildlife Sanctuary
Western Hoolock Gibbon in Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary
Siberian stonechat in Kanwarjheel
Gangetic dolphin in Vikramshila
Bengal tigers in Achanakmar Wildlife Sanctuary
Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu [ edit ]
Greater flamingos in Fudam Bird Sanctuary
Birds in Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary
Endangered Asiatic lions are only found in Gir Wildlife Sanctuary
Critically endangered Indian bustard in Kutch Bustard Sanctuary
Marine Sanctuary in Gulf of Kutch
Indian robin in Bhindawas Sanctuary
Snow leopard in Kibber
Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary
Snowy peaks in Nargu Wildlife Sanctuary
Birds in Pong Dam Lake
Flora in Gulmarg Wildlife Sanctuary
Crested serpent eagle in Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary
Indian leopard in Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary
Grizzled giant squirrel in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
Malabar pied hornbills in Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary
Sloth bear with cub at Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary
Kurinji flowers in Kurinjimala Sanctuary
A Malabar grey hornbill in Thattekad Bird Sanctuary
Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary
Gharial in National Chambal Sanctuary
Spotted deer in Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary
Bengal tiger in Pench Tiger Reserve
Demoiselle cranes in Jayakwadi Bird Sanctuary
Bengal Tiger in Andhari Wildlife Sanctuary
Lonar Lake , India's only meteorite impact crater lake , in Lonar Wildlife Sanctuary [ 19]
Thane creek
Dry forests in Tansa Wildlife Sanctuary
Hoolock gibbon in Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary
Himalayan cutia in Lengteng Wildlife Sanctuary
A waterfall in Simlipal Wildlife Sanctuary
Cliffs in Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary
Dhebar Lake in Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary
Rocks in Phulwari ki Nal Wildlife Sanctuary
A stream in Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary
Rhododendron in Varsey Rhododendron Sanctuary
Indian elephants in Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Indian gaur in Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary , India's first wildlife sanctuary
Bengal tiger in Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary
Birds in Pocharam Wildlife Sanctuary
Chital in Sepahijala Sanctuary
A waterfall in Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary
Birds in Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary
Gandaki River in Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife Sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh[ 9] [ 15]
Sanctuary
Declared
Area (km2 )
District
Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary
1990
28.94
Sant Kabir Nagar
Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary
1957
78
Chandauli
Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Bird Sanctuary
2003
4.27
Raebareli
Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary
1986
2073
Bijnore , Ghaziabad , Jyotiba Nagar , Meerut , Muzaffarnagar
Kachhua Wildlife Sanctuary
1989
7
Varanasi
Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary
1982
500.73
Mirzapur , Sonbhadra
Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
1976
400.09
Bahraich
Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
1972
227
Lakhimpur-Kheri , Shahjahanpur
Lakh Bahosi Wildlife Sanctuary
1988
80.24
Farrukhabad
Mahavir Swami Wildlife Sanctuary
1977
5.41
Lalitpur
National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary
1979
635
Agra , Etawah
Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary
1984
2.25
Unnao , Lucknow
Okhla Wildlife Sanctuary
1990
4
Ghaziabad
Parvati Arga Wildlife Sanctuary
1990
10.84
Gonda
Patna Bird Sanctuary
1990
1.09
Etah
Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary
1977
230.31
Banda , Chitrakoot
Saman Bird Sanctuary
1990
5.26
Mainpuri
Samaspur Bird Sanctuary
1987
7.99
Rae Bareli
Sandi Bird Sanctuary
1990
3.09
Hardoi
Shekha Bird Sanctuary
2016
0.25
Aligarh
Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary
1987
428.2
Maharajganj
Sohelwa Wildlife Sanctuary
1988
452.47
Balrampur , Shravasti
Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary
1991
4.03
Agra
Surha Tal Bird Sanctuary
1991
34.32
Ballia
Vijai Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary
1990
2.62
Mahoba
Himalayan peaks visible from Askot Musk Deer Sanctuary
Indian elephants in Buxa Tiger Reserve
Common jezebel in Raiganj Wildlife Sanctuary
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^ "Wildlife Sanctuaries, National Wildlife Database Cell" . Wildlife Institute of India . Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023 .
^ "Tiger Reserve List" . National Tiger Conservation Authority . 25 March 2023. Archived from the original on 25 March 2023. Retrieved 26 March 2023 .
^ "33 Elephant Reserves established in 14 major elephant States" . Government of India (Press release). 14 December 2013. Retrieved 1 December 2023 .
^ Elephant Reserves in India, an atlas (PDF) . Government of India (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 April 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023 .
^ Elephant Task Force report (PDF) . Government of India (Report). Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 January 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023 .
^ "Vedanthangal and Karikili Bird Sanctuary" . Bird life international . Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024 .
^ 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 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj 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 .
^ a b "Andaman and Nicobar" . Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change , Government of India . Retrieved 1 June 2024 .
^ "Barren Island" . Smithsonian. Archived from the original on 6 October 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023 .
^ "Did You Know India Has an Active Volcano? It's Located in Andaman's Barren Island" . News18 . 7 November 2021. Archived from the original on 22 September 2024. Retrieved 1 December 2023 .
^ Raman, T. R. Shankar; Mudappa, Divya; Khan, Tasneem; Mistry, Umeed; Saxena, Ajai; Varma, Kalyan; Ekka, Naveen; Lenin, Janaki; Whitaker, Romulus (2013). "An expedition to Narcondam: observations of marine and terrestrial fauna including the island-endemic hornbill" (PDF) . Current Science . 105 (3): 346– 350.
^ "List of sanctuaries in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands" . Big Cats India . Archived from the original on 12 April 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024 .
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af "Wildlife Sanctuaries" . Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change , Government of India . Archived from the original on 25 June 2025. Retrieved 1 June 2025 .
^ "Wildlife Sanctuaries in Andhra Pradesh" . Government of Andhra Pradesh . Archived from the original on 17 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024 .
^ "Wildlife of Arunachal Pradesh" . Government of Arunachal Pradesh . Retrieved 1 June 2024 .
^ "Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary" . Department of Forests, Government of Delhi . Archived from the original on 16 August 2011. Retrieved 1 June 2011 .
^ Crósta, A.P.; Reimold, W.U.; Vasconcelos, M.A.R.; Hauser, N.; Oliveira, G.J.G.; Maziviero, M.V.; Góes, A.M. (April 2019). "Impact cratering: The South American record – Part 1". Geochemistry . 79 (1): 1– 61. Bibcode :2019ChEG...79....1C . doi :10.1016/j.chemer.2018.06.001 . S2CID 134656351 .
^ "National Parks and Sanctuaries in Rajasthan" . Government of Rajasthan . Archived from the original on 22 December 2024. Retrieved 6 May 2025 .
^ "Tamil Nadu's 18th wildlife sanctuary to come up in Erode" . The New Indian Express . 21 March 2023. Archived from the original on 24 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023 .