National parks and wildlife sanctuaries are protected areas that conserve wild animals, birds and plants. India has over a hundred national parks. Their names, states and famous species are frequently asked in geography and static GK sections of exams.
Difference Between the Two
- A national park has strict protection; no human activity or grazing is allowed.
- A wildlife sanctuary allows some controlled human activity.
- A national park focuses on a whole ecosystem, while a sanctuary may focus on a particular species.
Famous National Parks
- Jim Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand) - India's first national park, set up in 1936.
- Kaziranga National Park (Assam) - famous for the one-horned rhinoceros.
- Gir National Park (Gujarat) - the only home of the Asiatic lion.
- Sundarbans National Park (West Bengal) - known for the Royal Bengal Tiger.
Advertisement
Other Important Parks
- Ranthambore (Rajasthan) - known for tigers.
- Periyar (Kerala) - known for elephants.
- Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh).
- Hemis (Ladakh) - the largest national park, known for the snow leopard.
Conservation Efforts
India runs special programmes like Project Tiger (1973) and Project Elephant (1992) to protect important species. Many parks are also UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Quick Revision Points
- Jim Corbett is India's first national park (1936).
- Kaziranga is famous for the one-horned rhino.
- Gir is the only home of the Asiatic lion.
- Sundarbans is known for the Royal Bengal Tiger.
- Hemis is the largest national park in India.
- Project Tiger began in 1973.
- National parks have stricter protection than sanctuaries.