National Parks
Geography · राष्ट्रीय उद्यान
📋Quick Overview
India has 106 national parks (as of 2024) covering about 1.35% of its geographical area. National Parks are areas strictly protected for wildlife and where no human activity like grazing, forestry, or habitat manipulation is allowed. Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand) was India's first national park, established in 1936. India also runs conservation projects like Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant (1992).
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Jim Corbett National Park = India's FIRST national park (1936, Uttarakhand). Originally called Hailey National Park. Also the first under Project Tiger (1973).
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Madhya Pradesh has the MOST national parks (12) and tiger reserves in India — called the 'Tiger State'
📖Important National Parks — Must Know
| National Park | State | Famous For | Key Facts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim Corbett | Uttarakhand | Bengal Tiger | India's FIRST national park (1936), first Project Tiger reserve, on Ramganga river |
| Kaziranga | Assam | One-horned Rhinoceros | UNESCO World Heritage, 2/3 of world's one-horned rhinos, on Brahmaputra banks |
| Gir | Gujarat | Asiatic Lion | ONLY home of Asiatic lions in the world |
| Sundarbans | West Bengal | Royal Bengal Tiger | Largest mangrove forest in the world, UNESCO, Sundari trees, on Ganges delta |
| Ranthambore | Rajasthan | Bengal Tiger | Famous for tiger photography, Ranthambore Fort inside park, once hunting ground of Jaipur royals |
| Periyar | Kerala | Indian Elephant | Periyar Lake inside, elephant and tiger reserve, in Western Ghats |
| Kanha | Madhya Pradesh | Bengal Tiger, Barasingha | Inspiration for Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book', hard-ground barasingha saved here |
| Bandipur | Karnataka | Tiger, Elephant | Part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, on Mysore-Ooty road, Project Tiger reserve |
| Valley of Flowers | Uttarakhand | Rare Himalayan flora | UNESCO World Heritage, 600+ flowering plant species, discovered by Frank Smythe (1931) |
| Hemis | Ladakh | Snow Leopard | Largest national park in India (by area), in trans-Himalayan region |
| Sariska | Rajasthan | Tiger | First tiger reserve to successfully reintroduce tigers (from Ranthambore) |
| Pench | Madhya Pradesh-Maharashtra border | Tiger | Also linked to Jungle Book stories, Pench river flows through |
| Bandhavgarh | Madhya Pradesh | White Tiger | Highest density of Bengal tigers in India, white tigers first found here |
| Namdapha | Arunachal Pradesh | Hoolock Gibbon | Only park with 4 big cats (tiger, leopard, snow leopard, clouded leopard) |
| Keibul Lamjao | Manipur | Sangai (Brow-antlered deer) | ONLY floating national park in the world, on Loktak Lake |
| Silent Valley | Kerala | Lion-tailed Macaque | Tropical evergreen forest, no tribal inhabitants, saved from hydroelectric project |
| Manas | Assam | Golden Langur, Red Panda | UNESCO World Heritage, on Indo-Bhutan border, Project Tiger reserve |
| Dudhwa | Uttar Pradesh | Swamp Deer (Barasingha) | On India-Nepal border, rhino reintroduction done here |
📝Project Tiger & Project Elephant
- •Project Tiger — launched on 1 April 1973, by PM Indira Gandhi, to protect Bengal Tigers. Jim Corbett was the first Project Tiger reserve.
- •India had 9 tiger reserves initially in 1973; now 55+ tiger reserves (2024). Total tiger population ~3,682 (2022 census).
- •National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) manages Project Tiger. Tiger census done every 4 years.
- •Madhya Pradesh has the most tigers — called 'Tiger State of India'
- •Project Elephant — launched in 1992 to protect Asian elephants and their habitat. Karnataka has the most elephants.
- •International Tiger Day = 29 July; World Elephant Day = 12 August