Master10
National Parks, Wildlife & Biodiversity Module

National Parks & Wildlife Sanctuaries

India's protected area network safeguards endangered fauna and floral biodiversity across diverse biomes, governed under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. National Parks enjoy the highest level of legal protection, strictly prohibiting human settlement, grazing, and resource extraction. The oldest national park in India is Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand (established in 1936 as Hailey National Park), while Hemis National Park in Ladakh is the largest by area and a renowned sanctuary for snow leopards. Other key habitats include Kaziranga in Assam (great one-horned rhinoceros) and Gir National Park in Gujarat (Asiatic lions). Studying protected area geography is central to conservation biology.

Key Concepts & Examination Highlights

  • Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, is India's first national park.
  • Hemis National Park in the Union Territory of Ladakh is the largest national park in India (spanning ~4,400 sq km) and the highest protected habitat for snow leopards.
  • Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat is the only natural habitat in the world for the wild Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica).
  • The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, provides the statutory framework for establishing National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Community Reserves, and Conservation Reserves across India.
  • Kaziranga National Park in Assam, located along the Brahmaputra River floodplain, hosts the highest density of the Great One-Horned Rhinoceros and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur is the world's only floating national park, situated on Loktak Lake and serving as the last refuge of the endangered Eld's deer (Sangai).
  • Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal forms part of the world's largest mangrove delta and is renowned for its population of swimming Royal Bengal Tigers and estuarine crocodiles.
  • Silent Valley National Park in the Nilgiri Hills of Kerala protects one of the last undisturbed tracts of South Western Ghats montane rain forests and the endangered Lion-tailed Macaque.
  • Ranthambore National Park in Rajasthan, situated at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya ranges, is renowned for its diurnal Bengal tiger sightings and historic 10th-century fort.
  • Great Himalayan National Park in the Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2014 for its exceptional biodiversity and alpine flora.
  • Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh is famous for saving the hard-ground swamp deer (Barasingha) from near extinction, introducing its official mascot 'Bhoorsingh the Barasingha'.
  • Desert National Park in Rajasthan near Jaisalmer is a vital sanctuary for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps).
  • Bandipur National Park and Nagarhole National Park in Karnataka form core components of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, known for Asian elephants and tigers.
  • Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, is famous for its diurnal tiger sightings, dry deciduous forests, and the historic 10th-century Ranthambore Fort.
  • Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal encompasses the world's largest mangrove forest delta, home to the Royal Bengal Tiger and estuarine crocodiles.
  • Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh is renowned for successfully reviving the population of the endangered Swamp Deer or Hard-ground Barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii branderi).
  • Kaziranga National Park hosts 'Big Five' mammalian species: the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros, Royal Bengal Tiger, Asian Elephant, Wild Water Buffalo, and Swamp Deer.
  • Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in the Cardamom Hills of Kerala surrounds an artificial reservoir formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam, famed for wild Asian elephant herds.
  • Valley of Flowers National Park in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand is a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for endemic alpine flora and snow leopards.
  • Kishtwar National Park in Jammu and Kashmir is situated along the Chenab River basin, protecting alpine meadows and rare musk deer populations.
  • Desert National Park in Rajasthan showcases the Thar Desert ecosystem and serves as the most critical stronghold for the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (Godawan).
  • Similipal National Park in Odisha contains extensive Sal forests, Joranda and Barehipani waterfalls, and the unique melanistic tiger population.
  • Campbell Bay National Park and Galathea National Park form the core zone of the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
  • Namdapha National Park in Arunachal Pradesh is unique for harboring four large cat species: Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Clouded Leopard across varying altitudinal zones.
  • Kudremukh National Park in the Western Ghats of Karnataka is renowned for its montane Shola grassland ecosystem and dense populations of lion-tailed macaques.
  • India contains 106 officially notified National Parks covering over 44,000 square kilometers, representing roughly 1.35 percent of the country's geographical area.
  • Madhya Pradesh and the Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands host the highest number of National Parks in India, with 9 or more each.
  • Jim Corbett National Park in the Nainital and Pauri Garhwal districts of Uttarakhand was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, later renamed Ramganga and finally Corbett in 1957.
  • The Ramganga River flows through the entire length of Jim Corbett National Park, providing the primary water source for its diverse wildlife.
  • Kaziranga National Park in the Golaghat, Nagaon, and Sonitpur districts of Assam was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985.
  • Kaziranga holds the world's largest population of the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) alongside elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer.
  • Keoladeo Ghana National Park (formerly Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) in Rajasthan is an internationally renowned man-made wetland and wintering ground for migratory waterfowl.
  • Gir National Park in Gujarat is the world's exclusive remaining natural habitat of the Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica), protected within the Saurashtra peninsula.
  • Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh is famous for having saved the Hardground Swamp Deer (Barasingha) from the brink of extinction.
  • Kanha was the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce an official mascot, 'Bhoorsingh the Barasingha', designed by cartoonist Rohan Chakravarty.
  • Bandhavgarh National Park in Madhya Pradesh has the highest recorded density of royal Bengal tigers in India and is steeped in mythological history linked to Lord Rama.
  • Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, is flanked by the Banas River to the north and the Chambal River to the south.
  • Silent Valley National Park in Kerala encompasses the last contiguous stretch of tropical evergreen rainforests in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.
  • The Lion-tailed Macaque (Macaca silenus), an endangered arboreal primate with a silver-white mane, finds its primary sanctuary in Silent Valley.
  • Eravikulam National Park in Idukki district of Kerala protects the largest surviving population of the endangered Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius).
  • Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana), a shrub that blooms once every 12 years covering the hills in blue-purple, is a botanical marvel of Eravikulam.
  • Periyar National Park in Kerala is situated in the Cardamom and Pandalam Hills, centered on an 26 sq km artificial reservoir formed by the Mullaperiyar Dam.
  • Dachigam National Park in Jammu and Kashmir is the exclusive sanctuary for the Hangul (Kashmir Stag), a critically endangered subspecies of red deer.
  • Hemis National Park in Ladakh is India's largest national park and the premier global destination for sighting the elusive Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia).
  • Khangchendzonga National Park in Sikkim surrounds Mount Kangchenjunga (8,586 m) and was inscribed as India's first Mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2016.
  • Keibul Lamjao National Park in Bishnupur district of Manipur is the world's only floating national park, situated on Loktak Lake.
  • The Sangai (Rucervus eldii eldii), also known as the Dancing Deer of Manipur, resides exclusively on the floating phumdis of Keibul Lamjao.
  • Namdapha National Park in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh is renowned for its altitudinal variation ranging from 200 meters to 4,571 meters.
  • Namdapha is the only national park in the world harboring four species of big cats: Tiger, Leopard, Snow Leopard, and Clouded Leopard.
  • Mouling National Park in Arunachal Pradesh forms part of the Dihang-Dibang Biosphere Reserve and is traversed by the Siyom River.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and National Wildlife Database.

Sample Solved Questions & Concept Explanations

8 Verified Concept Questions
Q1.EASY

Which national park in Assam is globally renowned for hosting two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Q2.EASY

Which national park in Gujarat is the only natural habitat in the world for the endangered Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica)?

Q3.EASY

Which was the first national park established in India (in 1936, originally named Hailey National Park)?

Q4.EASY

Which is the largest national park in India by total land area (spanning over 4,400 sq km), situated in Ladakh?

Q5.EASY

Dachigam National Park near Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir is the last remaining natural refuge of which critically endangered deer species?

Q6.EASY

Kanha National Park in Madhya Pradesh became the first tiger reserve in India to officially introduce a mascot named 'Bhoorsingh', representing which animal?

Q7.EASY

Which national park in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand was discovered by mountaineer Frank S. Smythe in 1931 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Q8.MEDIUM

Namdapha National Park in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh is globally unique for harbouring which four big cat species in a single protected area?