India boasts diverse wildlife sanctuaries, pivotal in preserving its rich biodiversity. From the majestic Ranthambore in Rajasthan, famed for Bengal tigers, to Kaziranga in Assam, home to one-horned rhinos, each sanctuary offers a unique habitat. These sanctuaries not only protect endangered species but also promote eco-tourism, offering visitors a glimpse into India’s natural heritage. With over 500 sanctuaries, India stands as a beacon for conservation efforts in a rapidly changing world. Let’s take a look at some of the lesser-known wildlife sanctuaries in India.

1. Manas National Park

• Location & Area: Himalayan Foothills, Assam (850 sq km)
• Established: 1990
• Attractions: Assam roofed turtle, hispid hare, golden langur, pygmy hog, and wild water buffalo.

2. Periyar National Park

• Location & Area: Cardamom Hills and Pandalam Hills, Kerala (305 sq km)
• Established: 1934-1950
• Attractions: tigers, elephants, lion-tailed macaques, sambar deer, leopards and Indian bison.

3. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Ranganathittu Road, Srirangapatna, Karnataka (0.16 sq km)
• Established: 1940
• Attractions: 170 species of birds including painted stork, Asian openbill stork, common spoonbill, woolly-necked stork, black-headed ibis, lesser whistling duck, Indian shag, stork-billed kingfisher, egret, cormorant, Oriental darter, spot-billed pelican and heron.

4. Bhadra Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Chikmagalur, Karnataka (492.5 sq km)
• Established: 1951
• Attractions: Malabar trogons, ospreys, Indian scimitar babblers, darters, tigers, elephants, gaur, and chitals.

5. Hemis National Park

• Location & Area: Leh, Ladakh (4,400 sq km)
• Established: 1981
• Attractions: Snow leopards, Great Tibetan sheep, Blue sheep, Asiatic Ibex, Tibetan wolf, Eurasian brown bear, and golden eagle.

6. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve

• Location & Area: Chittoor, Palakkad, Kerala (285 sq km)
• Established: 2009
• Attractions: Tiger, Indian gaur, wild boar, sambar, lion-tailed macaque, sloth, and Travancore flying squirrel.

7. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Vedathangal, Madurantakam, Tamil Nadu (0.3 sq km)
• Established: 1936
• Attractions: open-billed storks, egrets, cormorants, darters, flamingos, pelicans, moorhens, kingfishers, darters, spoonbills, white ibises and different varieties of herons.

8. Karnala Bird Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Karnala, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra (446 sq km)
• Established: 1968
• Attractions: Grey-fronted Green-pigeon, Nilgiri Woodpigeon, Malabar Parakeet, Malabar Grey Hornbill, White-cheeked Barbet, Malabar Lark, peregrine, and shikra.

9. Kumarakom Bird Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Kavanattinkara, Kumarakom, Kerala (0.14 sq km)
• Established: 1847
• Attractions: Siberian Stork, egret, darter, heron and teal.

10. Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Morigaon, Assam (38.85 sq km)
• Established: 1987
• Attractions: Indian One-horned rhinoceros, leopard, wild boar, barking deer, and wild buffalo.

11. Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Bathery- Puthupally Road, Sultan Bathery, Kerala (344.44 sq km)
• Established: 1973
• Attractions: Asian Elephants, Bengal Tigers, Vultures, gaur, and deer.

12. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Munnar – Udumalpet Rd, Munnar, Kerala (90.44 sq km)
• Established: 1984
• Attractions: Indian star tortoise, Indian leopard, spotted deer, Indian elephant, gaur, Bengal tiger, and  yellow-throated bulbul.

13. Sariska National Park

• Location & Area: Alwar, Rajasthan (866 sq km)
• Established: 1979
• Attractions: Bengal tiger, sloth bear, Indian leopard, jungle cat, caracal, striped hyena, golden jackal, chital, sambar deer, nilgai, wild boar, small Indian civet, Javan mongoose, ruddy mongoose, and honey badger.

14. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Gurgaon Farukh Nagar Rd, Sultanpur, Gurugram, Haryana (1.42 sq km)
• Established: 1991
• Attractions: Amur falcons, Egyptian vultures, plovers, ducks, storks, ibises, flamingos, jacanas, pochards and sociable lapwing.

15. Bhimashankar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Tungi, Maharashtra (131 sq km)
• Established: 1984
• Attractions: Indian giant squirrel, pangolin, barking deer, mouse deer, and common langur.

16. Kali Tiger Reserve

• Location & Area: Dandeli, Karnataka (1,345.5 sq km)
• Established: 1987
• Attractions: tiger, black panther, Indian rock python, golden-backed woodpecker, king cobra, and yellow-footed green pigeon. 

17. Brahmagiri Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Kappimala – Paithalmala Rd, Vellad, Karnataka (181 sq km)
• Established: 1974
• Attractions: emerald dove, black bulbul, Malabar trogon, wild pig, and brown mongoose.

18. Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Mollem, Goa (240 sq km)
• Established: 1978
• Attractions: Gaur, Sambar, Leopards, Spotted Deer, Slender Tories, Jungle Cats, Malayan Giant Squirrels, Pythons and Cobras.

19. Tikarpada Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Tikarpada, Angul, Orissa (795.52 sq km) 
• Established: 1979
• Attractions: tigers, pangolins, leopards, spotted deer, elephants, rhesus, macaques, snakes, turtles, gharials, and crocodiles.

20. Bharatpur National Park

• Location & Area: Bharatpur, Rajasthan (28.73 sq km)
• Established: 1982
• Attractions: basking python, painted storks, deer, nilgai, herons, cormorants and eagles.

21. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Rajsamand, Rajasthan (610.52 sq km)
• Established: 1971
• Attractions: Indian wolf, Indian leopard, Sloth bear, Striped hyena, Golden jackal, Jungle cat, Sambhar, and nilgai.

22. Rollapadu Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Rollapadu, Andhra Pradesh (9.37 sq km)
• Established: 1988
• Attractions: blackbuck, jackal, Indian fox, Indian bustard, florican and Indian Wolf.

23. Benog Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Mussorie Range, Uttarakhand (3.39 sq km)
• Established: 1993
• Attractions: Red-billed Blue Magpie, Mountain Quails, and the Himalayan goat.

24. Kawal Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Jannaram, Mancherial, Telangana (893 sq km)
• Established: 1999
• Attractions: Tigers, rabbits, monkeys, deer, and snakes.

25. Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Great Rann of Kutch, Kutch, Gujarat (7,506.22 sq km)
• Established: 1986
• Attractions: Greater flamingo, Asiatic wild ass, chinkara, fox, hyena, and nilgai.

26. Chilika Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Puri, Orissa (1,100 sq km)
• Established: 1973
• Attractions: White-bellied sea eagles, flamingoes, blackbuck, hyenas, Chilika dolphins, purple moorhen, Graylag geese, jacana, flamingos and herons.

27. Karikili Bird Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Mangalam, Chengalpattu, Tamil Nadu (0.61 sq km) 
• Established: 1988
• Attractions: Northern pintail, garganey, common sandpiper,  bonnet macaque, jackal, python, sand boa, oriental darter, and spot-billed pelican.

28. Chail Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Chail, Sadhupul, Himachal Pradesh (110 sq km)
• Established: 1976
• Attractions: Rhesus macaque, leopard, Indian muntjac, goral, porcupine, wild boar, langur and Himalayan black bear.

29. Bhamragarh Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Chandrapur, Maharashtra (104.38 sq km)
• Established: 1997
• Attractions: Sambar, chital, blackbuck, wild dogs, wild boar, barking deer, flying squirrels, sloth bear, langur and mongoose.

30. Landfall Island Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Andaman and Nicobar Islands (29.28 sq km) 
• Established: 1987
• Attractions: Andaman crake, white-headed starling, serpent eagle, Andaman drongo, Andaman coucal, Landfall Parrot and the Mangrove Kingfisher.

31. Indian Wild Ass Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Little Rann of Kutch, Dhrangadhra, Jogad, Gujarat (4,953.7 sq km)
• Established: 1972
• Attractions: Indian wild ass, Asiatic wild ass, houbara bustard, dalmatian pelicans, hawks, harriers, falcons, desert fox, and jackal.

32. Nagarjunasagar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Andhra Pradesh & Telangana (3,728 sq km)
• Established: 1978
• Attractions: tigers, crocodiles, leopards, sloth bears, dhol, Indian Pangolin, Chital, Sambar deer, Chevrotain, Blackbuck, Chinkara, Chowsingha, Indian Python, King Cobra and Indian peafowl.

33. Govind Pashu Vihar Wildlife Sanctuary

• Location & Area: Supin range, Uttarakhand (958 sq km)
• Established: 1955
• Attractions: Snow Leopard, Brown Bear, Musk Deer, Western Tragopan, Indian Porcupine, and Golden Eagle.

Image Courtesy – Travelogy India

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