NATIONAL PARK

 

National parks and wildlife sanctuaries are protected natural habitats, declared by the government of a country according to the regulations from the IUCN (The World Conservation Union) to preserve the wildlife through conservation of ecosystems. The restriction levels vary within these two categories but, the principal objective of declaring protected areas is the conservation of nature.

A National Park has a defined boundary, through which no person can get into the park without an approval. Only an approved person can enter into a national park, either via paying a visitor ticket or an approved letter from the governing body (mostly the government). The visitors can only observe the park inside a vehicle that routes through defined trails and they cannot get out the vehicle for any reason unless there is an approved place for visitors. Photographs are allowed but research and educational work can only be done with a prior permission.

India’s first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, now known as Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand.

 

A Wildlife Sanctuary is a declared protected area, where very limited human activity is allowed. The ownership of this type of protected area could lie in the hands of either a government or in any private organization or person, provided the regulations are governed by the government.

State / UT	National Park	Established
Andaman and Nicobar	Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park (previously : Wandur National Park)	1983
Andaman and Nicobar	Saddle Peak National Park	1987
Arunachal Pradesh	Namdapha National Park	1983
Assam	Kaziranga National Park	1974
Assam	Manas National Park	1990
Bihar	Valmiki National Park	1989
Chhattisgarh	Indravati National Park	1981
Gujarat	Gir National Park	1965
Gujarat	Gulf of Kachchh Marine National Park	1980
Himachal Pradesh	Great Himalayan National Park	1984
Himachal Pradesh	Pin Valley National Park	1987
Jammu and Kashmir	Dachigam National Park	1981
Jammu and Kashmir	Hemis National Park	1981
Karnataka	Kudremukh National Park	1987
Karnataka	Rajiv Gandhi National Park (prev: Nagarhole National Park)	1988
Kerala	Periyar National Park	1982
Kerala	Silent Valley National Park	1984
Madhya Pradesh	Fossil National Park	1983
Madhya Pradesh	Kanha National Park	1955
Madhya Pradesh	Panna National Park	1973
Madhya Pradesh	Sanjay National Park	1981
Meghalaya	Nokrek National Park	1986
Orissa	Simlipal National Park	1980
Rajasthan	Ranthambore National Park	1980
Rajasthan	Sariska National Park	1982
Sikkim	Khangchendzonga National Park	1977
Tamil Nadu	Guindy National Park	1976
Tamil Nadu	Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park	1980
Uttar Pradesh	Dudhwa National Park	1977
Uttarakhand	Corbett National Park	1936
Uttarakhand	Nanda Devi National Park	1982
Uttarakhand	Valley of Flowers National Park	1982
West Bengal	Buxa Tiger Reserve	1992
West Bengal	Sundarbans National Park	1984