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List of Wildlife Sanctuaries of India 2024, Check Area and Importance

Wildlife Sanctuaries in India

India is famous for its forests and diverse wildlife. A wildlife sanctuary is a protected area required to conserve plants and animals. Tourism is not allowed in these sanctuaries, as they serve as natural habitats. The Wildlife Protection Act of 1947 established these protected areas. India has about 553 wildlife sanctuaries covering 119776 km². Among them, 51 are tiger reserves specifically for the Bengal tiger.

Wildlife Sanctuaries of India are classified as IUCN Category IV protected areas. The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 allowed the State government to declare specific regions as wildlife sanctuaries if they were deemed to be of sufficient ecological, geomorphologic, and natural value.

Largest Wildlife Sanctuary in India

Ranthambore National Park, which is situated in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, is one of India’s biggest and most well-known tiger reserves. It was established as a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and joined Project Tiger in 1973.

How Many Wildlife Sanctuaries are there in India?

India has total 573 Wildlife Sanctuaries, with 123,762.56 km2, or 3.76% of the nation’s land area (National Wildlife Database, Nov. 2023). Another 218 Wildlife Sanctuaries are proposed in the Protected Area Network Report covering an area of 16,829 km2. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary, in the state of Tamil Nadu, is the oldest bird sanctuary. It was founded in 1796.

List of Wildlife Sanctuaries in India 2024

We have provided the updated list of Wildlife Sanctuaries in India in the below table which includes the state and UT name and area covered:

S.No. State & UT State Area (km²) No. of WLS Area (km²) % of State Area
1. Andhra Pradesh 160229 13 6771.40 4.23
2. Arunachal Pradesh 83743 13 7614.56 9.09
3. Assam 78438 17 1728.95 2.20
4. Bihar 94163 12 2851.67 3.03
5. Chhattisgarh 135191 11 3760.28 2.78
6. Goa 3702 6 647.91 17.50
7. Gujarat 196022 23 16618.42 8.48
8. Haryana 44212 7 118.21 0.27
9. Himachal Pradesh 55673 28 6115.97 10.99
10. Jharkhand 79714 11 1955.82 2.45
11. Karnataka 191791 38 8216.69 4.28
12. Kerala 38863 18 2156.21 5.55
13. Madhya Pradesh 308245 24 7046.19 2.29
14. Maharashtra 307713 49 7861.70 2.55
15. Manipur 22327 7 708.14 3.17
16. Meghalaya 22429 4 94.11 0.42
17. Mizoram 21081 9 1359.75 6.45
18. Nagaland 16579 4 43.91 0.26
19. Odisha 155707 19 7094.65 4.56
20. Punjab 50362 13 326.60 0.65
21. Rajasthan 342239 25 5592.38 1.63
22. Sikkim 7096 7 399.10 5.62
23. Tamil Nadu 130058 33 7096.54 5.46
24. Telangana 114840 9 5672.70 4.94
25. Tripura 10486 4 603.64 5.76
26. Uttar Pradesh 240928 26 5822.20 2.42
27. Uttarakhand 53483 7 2690.12 5.03
28. West Bengal 88752 16 1440.18 1.62
29. Andaman & Nicobar 8249 97 395.60 4.80
30. Chandigarh 114 2 26.01 22.82
31. Dadra & Nagar Haveli 491 1 92.17 18.77
32. Daman & Diu 112 1 2.19 1.96
33. Delhi 1483 1 19.61 1.32
34. Jammu & Kashmir 163090 14 1815.04 1.11
35. Ladakh 59146 2 9000.00 15.22
36. Lakshadweep 32 1 0.01 0.03
37. Puducherry 480 1 3.90 0.81
  TOTAL 3287263 573 123762.56 3.76

Importance of Wildlife Sanctuaries of India

  • To protect endangered species.
  • To keep animals in their natural habitats and protect them there.
  • To monitor endangered species and help them reproduce and grow in number.
  • To provide research opportunities to study these animals and plants.
  • To help endangered animals live better lives.
  • To understand more about the animals that live there, biologists are allowed to conduct activities and research in wildlife sanctuaries.
  • A few sanctuaries take in injured and abandoned animals, heal them, and then release them back into the wild.
  • Animal refuges safeguard threatened animals and shield them from predators and people.

Wildlife Sanctuary MAP

Wildlife Sancturies Map

State-wise Wildlife Sanctuaries of India List

S No. States Wildlife Sanctuaries
1. Assam Nambor WLS
Dihing Patkai WLS
East Karbi Anglong WLS
Chakrashila WLS
Amchang WLS
2. Bihar Kaimur WLS
Gautam Budha WLS
Pant (Rajgir) WLS
Valmiki WLS
3. Chhatisgarh Bhairamgarh WLS
Badalkhol WLS
Bhoramdev WLS
Udanti Wild Buffalo WLS
4. Goa Bondla WLS
Madei WLS
5. Gujarat Kutch Desert WLS
Porbandar Lake WLS
Jambugodha WLS
Wild Ass WLS
Ratanmahal WLS
Thol Lake WLS
Sasan Gir Sanctuary
Mitiyala WLS
6. Haryana Bhindawas WLS
N Khaparwas WLS
Kalesar WLS
7. Himachal Pradesh Bandli WLS
Daranghati WLS
Dhauladhar WLS
Talra WLS
Pong Dam Lake WLS
Nargu WLS
9. Jharkhand Lawalong WLS
Parasnath WLS
Palkot WLS
10. Karnataka Someshwara WLS
Bhadra WLS
Bhimgad WLS
Brahmagiri WLS
Cauvery WLS
Pushpagiri WLS
Sharavathi Valley WLS
11. Kerala Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary
Aralam WLS
Chimmony WLS
Idukki WLS
Malabar WLS
12. Madhya Pradesh Bori WLS
Gandhi Sagar WLS
Ken Gharial WLS
National Chambal WLS
Orcha WLS
13. Maharashtra Koyana WLS
Painganga WLS
Bhimashankar WLS
Tungareshwar WLS
Great Indian Bustard WLS
14. Manipur Yangoupokpi-Lokchao WLS
15. Meghalaya
16. Mizoram Dampa WLS (TR)
Ngengpui WLS
Baghmara Pitcher Plant WLS
17. Nagaland Fakim WLS
Rangapahar WLS
18. Odisha Baisipalli WLS
Chilika (Nalaban) WLS
Hadgarh WLS
Satkosia Gorge WLS
19. Punjab Abohar WLS
Harike Lake WLS
Jhajjar Bacholi WLS
20. Rajasthan Keoladeo Bird Sanctuary
Jawahar Sagar WLS
Mount Abu WLS
Ramsagar WLS
Shergarh WLS
21. Sikkim Fambong Lho WLS
Kitam WLS (Bird)
Maenam WLS
22. Tamil Nadu Indira Gandhi (Annamalai) WLS
Karaivetti WLS
Pulicat Lake WLS
Vedanthangal WLS
Kalakad WLS
23. Tripura Gumti WLS
Rowa WLS
Trishna WLS
24. Uttarakhand Askot Musk Deer WLS
Binsar WLS
Govind Pashu Vihar WLS
Kedarnath WLS
Sonanadi WLS
25. Uttar Pradesh Hastinapur WLS
Ranipur WLS
Sohagibarwa WLS
Sur Sarovar WLS
Chandraprabha WLS
National Chambal WLS
26. West Bengal Sunderbans Wildlife Sanctuary
Chintamani Kar Bird Sanctuary
Haliday Island WLS
Ballavpur WLS
Lothian Island WLS
Mahananda WLS

Union Territories Wildlife Sanctuaries of India List

Here’s the complete list of Wildlife Sanctuaries in the Union Territories of India:

S No. UTs Wildlife Sanctuary
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Bamboo Island WLS
Barren Island WLS
Chanel Island WLS
Peacock Island WLS
Turtle Islands WLS
2. Jammu & Kashmir Gulmarg WLS
Limber WLS
Nandini WLS
3. Lakshadweep Pitti WLS (Bird)
4. Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu Dadra & Nagar Haveli WLS
Fudam WLS

 

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Wildlife Sanctuaries in India FAQs

How many wildlife sanctuary are there in India?

There are 573 existing wildlife sanctuaries in India covering an area of 123,762.56 km2, which is 3.76% of the geographical area of the country (National Wildlife Database Centre, Nov. 2023).

Which is the 1st wildlife sanctuary in India?

The first wildlife sanctuary established in India is Manas National Park, also known as Manas Wildlife Sanctuary.

Which is the largest wildlife sanctuary of India?

The Ranthambore National Park, located in the state of Rajasthan, is the largest wildlife sanctuary in India. It serves as a national reserve for the tigers.

Which is the famous wildlife sanctuary in India?

Corbett National Park, located in Uttarakhand, is widely regarded as the oldest wildlife sanctuary in India, established in 1936. It's famous for its Bengal tiger population and was named after Jim Corbett.

Which is the largest wildlife sanctuary in the world?

Northeast Greenland National Park is the largest terrestrial protected area in the world, encompassing a massive 972,000 sq.kms. (375,000 sq mi) in eastern Greenland.

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