India – Animal Sanctuary

• National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries in India have something refreshing to offer you.
• The wildlife calling is indeed adventurous and enthralling. There is nothing like spotting rare and common species in their natural habitats.
• It is also quite fascinating to catch the glimpse of those animals, which we had only seen in pictures while making our science projects in school.
• Also, activities like jeep, elephant and canter safaris and accommodation facility inside many national parks gives more reasons for people to visit.
• Thanks to India’s biodiversity, there is at least one national park in each state that displays vivid flora and fauna of the region.
• Between 1936 and 2016, 543 wildlife sanctuaries were established in the country that cover 118,918 km² area.
• Among these, the 50 tiger reserves are governed by Project Tiger, and are of special significance for the conservation of the Bengal tiger.

Let’s see some of the animal sanctuary from India:

Name	Description
Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand	1. The Corbett National Park is the oldest and one of the best among the top 10 national parks in India. 2. It was established in 1936 to protect the imposing Bengal Tigers. It is located at the foothills of the Himalayan range of Uttarakhand.
Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan	1. The Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan, is one of the royal national parks in India. 2. The majestic Tigers are the pride of this national park. It is surrounded by the Banas and Chambal River. 3. Tiger Safaris are popular among the visitors of Ranthambore National Park.
Bandipur National Park, Karnataka	1. The Bandipur National Park is the most popular among all the national parks in South India. 2. Lush forest of the Deccan Plateau and the Western Ghats makes this park one of the beautiful parks in India.
Keoladeo Ghana National Park Bharatpur, Rajasthan	1. Keoladeo Ghana National Park is one of the man-made wetlands in India. 2. It was formerly called as ‘Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary’. 3. This park hosts a large number of avifauna during the summers.
Nagarhole National Park, Karnataka	1. It is also known as ‘Rajiv Gandhi National Park’. With quite a large number of Tigers, this park also has a significant number of Indian Bison, Leopard, Sloth Bear and Elephant. 2. Teak, Sandalwood and Silver Oak are the major trees found in this park.
Sariska National Park, Rajasthan	1. Sariska National Park was the first national park in the world, which was successfully adapted by the majestic Royal Bengal Tigers as their natural habitat. 2. Leopard, Jungle Cat, Stripped Hyena and Golden Jackal are also found.
Kaziranga National Park, Assam	1. It is the only natural habitat of the endangered One-Horned Rhinos in India as well as in the world. 2. Other wildlife consists Elephants, Wild Buffaloes and Swamp Deer. 3. The park also witnesses a large number of migratory birds during the winters.
Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka	1. It is an extensive habitat for an array of plants and animals. 2. One of the most beloved attractions of this sanctuary is the Bhadra River. 3. Adventurers +must indulge in the wildlife safari at this park.
Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh	1. This park has gained a lot of attention due to its efforts in saving the rare species of the Swamp Deer, also known as ‘Barasingha’. 2. The other feature of the Kanha National Park is its sunset point called Bamni Dadar.
Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal	1. Covered with mangrove forests, Sundarbans is the original abode of the stunning Royal Bengal Tigers 2. Salt-Water Crocodile can also be found in this park. Sundarbans is extremely rich in avifauna, aqua fauna and reptiles.
Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh	1. It is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh; it is one of the largest national parks of Madhya Pradesh. 2. Among all the attractions of Bandhavgarh National Park, White Tigers are the most spectacular.
Gir National Park and SasanGir Sanctuary, Gujarat	1. The Gir National Park and the SasanGir Sanctuary of Gujarat are the only wildlife sanctuaries in India that have Asiatic Lions. 2. October-June is the ideal time to visit.
Periyar National Park, Kerala	1. Located on the evergreen hills of the Western Ghats, this wildlife sanctuary is also one of the Tiger Reserve Forests in India. 2. While boating in the Periyar Lake, visitors can behold the mighty beasts of this park, satisfying their thirsts on the lakesides.
Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh	1. Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book’ is based on the natural surroundings of this national park; this park is also known as ‘Mowgli Land’. 2. While Tigers are the most dominant species of this park, Leopards, Sloth Bear, Wild Dog, Barking Deer are some of the other attractions.
Manas National Park, Assam	1. Assam has a large number of rare and endangered species. 2. Assam Roofed Turtle, Hispid Hare, Golden Langur and Pygmy Hod are some of the most endangered species of this park.
Dudhwa National Park, Uttar Pradesh	1. The Dudhwa National Parkis situated in Uttar Pradesh. 2. In 1978, it was declared as a Tiger Reserve due to its large number of tigers.
Panna National Park, Madhya Pradesh	1. It is declared as a Tiger Reserve Forest of India in 1994, this park suffered a heavy downfall in the number of Tigers due to poaching. 2. Bar-headed Goose and King Vultures are the most commonly found birds among the 200 species of its avifauna.
Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, Maharashtra	1. A Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra is the oldest and the largest National Park in Maharashtra. 2. Bengal Tigers, Leopards, Stripped Hyena and Jungle Cats are some of the commonly found carnivores of this park. 3. Forests of this park always bear the green colour due to the geographical topography of the park’s location.
Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala	1. This sanctuary is located on the Western Ghats and shares its border with Tamil Nadu on the Annamalai Hills. 2. In this sanctuary, Panthers, Spotted Deer, Indian Elephant, Tiger and Nilgiri Tahr are the most spectacular.
The Great Himalayan National Park, Himachal Pradesh	1. The Great Himalayan National Park lies among the lush coniferous forests of and the snow-capped mountain peaks Kulu, Himachal Pradesh. 2. It is one of the high-altitude national parks in India. 3. Snow Leopard, Himalayan Brown Bear, Blue Sheep, Musk Deer and Himalayan Thar are the commonly found animals in this park.

Interesting Facts:

• The Sundarbans area in West Bengal is famous for Royal Bengal Tiger.
• The Lion is found naturally only in India, besides Africa. In India, its only one natural habitat is Gir forest (Saurashtra) in Gujarat.
• Project Crocodile was launched in 1975. The National Chambal Sanctuary (Madhya Pradesh) is important for protection of crocodiles.
• The one-horned rhinoceros is found only in India. Project Rhinoceros was launched in 1987 for its protection.
• The Elephant is an animal of equatorial sub-tropical forest. In India, it is found in the jungles of Assam, Kerala and Karnataka.
• The Dachigam National Park in Jammu and Kashmir is famous for Hangul. Ostriches are found in the Desert National Park, Jaisalmer.