National Parks in India

Key Statistics (as of 2023): • Total National Parks: 106 • Total area: approximately 44,378 sq km • Percentage of India's area: ~1.35% • First national park: Jim Corbett National Park (1936) — Uttarakhand • Largest national park: Hemis National Park — Ladakh (~4,400 sq km) • Smallest national park: South Button Island National Park — Andaman & Nicobar Islands (~0.03 sq km)

What is a National Park? • A protected area declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 • Highest level of protection after a Wildlife Sanctuary • No human habitation or exploitation of resources permitted inside • Boundaries are fixed by law and cannot be altered without Parliament's approval • Tourism is permitted in designated areas under controlled conditions

Difference Between National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary:

Legal Framework: • Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 — primary law governing national parks • Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 — supplementary protection • National parks are managed by respective State Forest Departments under central policy

First National Park — Jim Corbett National Park: • Location: Nainital and Pauri Garhwal districts, Uttarakhand • Established: 1936 (as Hailey National Park during British rule); renamed Jim Corbett National Park in 1957 • Area: approximately 521 sq km (core area) • Famous for: Bengal tiger, elephant, leopard, gharial, and over 600 bird species • India's first national park to come under Project Tiger (1973) • Named after Jim Corbett — famous British-Indian hunter and naturalist who advocated for tiger conservation

Largest National Park — Hemis National Park: • Location: Leh district, Ladakh (Union Territory) • Established: 1981 • Area: approximately 4,400 sq km — largest national park in India • Famous for: Snow leopard (highest density in the world), Himalayan wolf, Tibetan wild ass (Kiang), Bharal (blue sheep) • High-altitude cold desert ecosystem — altitude ranges from 3,000m to over 6,000m • Also one of the highest altitude national parks in the world

Smallest National Park: • South Button Island National Park, Andaman & Nicobar Islands — approximately 0.03 sq km

State with Most National Parks: • Madhya Pradesh — also known as the 'Tiger State' of India

Famous National Parks in India:

1. Kaziranga National Park, Assam: • UNESCO World Heritage Site (1985) • Home to the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses (~2,600) • Also has Bengal tigers, Asian elephants, wild water buffalo, and swamp deer • Located in the floodplains of the Brahmaputra river

2. Sundarbans National Park, West Bengal: • UNESCO World Heritage Site (1987) • Largest mangrove forest in the world (shared with Bangladesh) • Home to the Royal Bengal tiger — the only tigers that swim • Located at the delta of Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Meghna rivers

3. Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan: • Famous for Bengal tigers — one of the best places in India to spot tigers in the wild • Located near Sawai Madhopur • Has ancient Ranthambore Fort within its boundary • Part of Project Tiger since 1973

4. Gir National Park (Sasan Gir), Gujarat: • The only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion in the world • Asiatic lion population: approximately 675 (as of 2020 census) • Located in Junagadh and Gir Somnath districts of Gujarat

5. Valley of Flowers National Park, Uttarakhand: • UNESCO World Heritage Site (2005) • Famous for its meadows of alpine flowers and rich biodiversity • Located in the Chamoli district in the Western Himalayas

6. Bandipur National Park, Karnataka: • One of the major wildlife reserves in Southern India • Part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (along with Mudumalai and Nagarhole) • Home to tigers, leopards, elephants, and gaur

7. Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh: • Inspired Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book' • Famous for barasingha (swamp deer), tigers, and leopards • One of the finest tiger reserves in India

8. Periyar National Park, Kerala: • Located around the Periyar Lake in the Cardamom Hills • Famous for Asian elephants and Bengal tigers • One of the most popular eco-tourism destinations in South India

Conservation Programmes Related to National Parks:

1. Project Tiger (1973): • Launched by PM Indira Gandhi • Started with 9 tiger reserves; now has 55 tiger reserves (as of 2023) • India's tiger population: approximately 3,167 (2022 census) — about 70% of the world's wild tigers • Jim Corbett was the first Project Tiger reserve

2. Project Elephant (1992): • Aims to protect elephants, their habitats, and corridors • Covers 33 elephant reserves across 23 states

3. Project Snow Leopard: • Conservation of snow leopards — mainly in Hemis and other Himalayan national parks

4. Project Rhino: • Conservation of one-horned rhinoceros, primarily in Kaziranga, Assam

Biosphere Reserves vs National Parks: • Biosphere Reserves are larger areas that include national parks and wildlife sanctuaries within them • UNESCO designates biosphere reserves • India has 18 biosphere reserves; 12 are on the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves • Examples: Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (includes Mudumalai, Bandipur), Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (includes Valley of Flowers)

Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972: • Provides the legal framework for national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and protected areas • Prohibits hunting, poaching, and trade in wildlife • CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) — India is a signatory