India has about 106 national parks and 570+ wildlife sanctuaries (approx). Nobody can learn all of them, and exams don’t expect you to. They ask the famous ones, usually as “Which park is in which state?” or “Which animal is it famous for?”. Here is the list I would learn.
National park vs wildlife sanctuary
| Point | National park | Wildlife sanctuary |
|---|---|---|
| Protection | Higher | Lower |
| Human activity | Grazing and private rights not allowed | Some activities allowed |
| Boundaries | Changed only by the state legislature | Can be changed by the state government |
| Law | Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 | Same |
Firsts and records
| Record | Answer |
|---|---|
| First national park | Jim Corbett (1936, as Hailey National Park), Uttarakhand |
| Largest national park | Hemis (Ladakh) |
| Only floating national park | Keibul Lamjao (Manipur) |
| Only home of Asiatic lions | Gir (Gujarat) |
| Largest population of one-horned rhinos | Kaziranga (Assam) |
State-wise important national parks
| State / UT | National parks | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Assam | Kaziranga, Manas, Nameri, Orang, Dibru-Saikhowa | One-horned rhino, tiger, wild buffalo |
| Gujarat | Gir, Marine NP (Gulf of Kutch), Velavadar (Blackbuck) | Asiatic lion, coral reefs, blackbuck |
| Madhya Pradesh | Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Satpura, Panna, Madhav, Kuno | Tigers; barasingha (Kanha); cheetahs (Kuno) |
| Rajasthan | Ranthambore, Sariska, Keoladeo, Desert NP | Tigers; birds (Keoladeo); great Indian bustard (Desert NP) |
| Uttarakhand | Jim Corbett, Rajaji, Nanda Devi, Valley of Flowers, Gangotri | Tigers, elephants, alpine flowers |
| Uttar Pradesh | Dudhwa | Tigers, swamp deer |
| West Bengal | Sundarbans, Jaldapara, Gorumara, Neora Valley | Royal Bengal tiger; rhino |
| Karnataka | Bandipur, Nagarhole, Kudremukh, Bannerghatta | Tigers, elephants |
| Kerala | Periyar (Tiger Reserve), Eravikulam, Silent Valley | Nilgiri tahr (Eravikulam), lion-tailed macaque |
| Tamil Nadu | Mudumalai, Guindy, Gulf of Mannar Marine NP | Elephants; Guindy is inside Chennai |
| Maharashtra | Tadoba, Sanjay Gandhi (Borivali), Pench | Tigers; a national park inside Mumbai |
| Jharkhand | Betla | Tigers, elephants |
| Odisha | Bhitarkanika, Simlipal | Saltwater crocodiles; tigers |
| Telangana / AP | Kasu Brahmananda Reddy (Hyderabad), Papikonda | Urban park; Eastern Ghats |
| Himachal Pradesh | Great Himalayan NP, Pin Valley | Western tragopan; snow leopard |
| Ladakh | Hemis | Snow leopard |
| J&K | Dachigam | Hangul (Kashmir stag) |
| Sikkim | Khangchendzonga | Red panda, snow leopard |
| Manipur | Keibul Lamjao | Sangai (brow-antlered deer) |
| Arunachal Pradesh | Namdapha | Four big cats: tiger, leopard, clouded leopard, snow leopard |
Famous wildlife sanctuaries
| Sanctuary | State | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Chilika (Nalabana) | Odisha | Migratory birds |
| Ranganathittu | Karnataka | Birds on the Kaveri |
| Bharatpur (now Keoladeo NP) | Rajasthan | Siberian crane (historically) |
| Sultanpur (now NP) | Haryana | Birds |
| Nal Sarovar | Gujarat | Waterbirds |
| Pakhui | Arunachal Pradesh | Hornbills |
Exam-ready one-liners
- Jim Corbett (1936) is India’s first national park.
- Hemis in Ladakh is the largest national park.
- Gir is the only home of the Asiatic lion.
- Keibul Lamjao is the only floating national park.
- Kuno (MP) is where cheetahs were brought back in 2022.
- Dachigam is home to the hangul.
Related reading
Quiz: test yourself
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Counts are approx; protected area numbers change. Check ENVIS / MoEFCC for the latest.
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