National Parks, Wildlife & Biodiversity Module
National Parks & Wildlife Sanctuaries
India's protected area network safeguards endangered fauna and floral biodiversity across diverse biomes, governed under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. National Parks enjoy the highest level of legal protection, strictly prohibiting human settlement, grazing, and resource extraction. The oldest national park in India is Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand (established in 1936 as Hailey National Park), while Hemis National Park in Ladakh is the largest by area and a renowned sanctuary for snow leopards. Other key habitats include Kaziranga in Assam (great one-horned rhinoceros) and Gir National Park in Gujarat (Asiatic lions). Studying protected area geography is central to conservation biology.
Key Concepts & Examination Highlights
- Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park, is India's first national park.
- Hemis National Park in the Union Territory of Ladakh is the largest national park in India (spanning ~4,400 sq km) and the highest protected habitat for snow leopards.
- Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat is the only natural habitat in the world for the wild Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica).
- The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, provides the statutory framework for establishing National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Community Reserves, and Conservation Reserves across India.
Curriculum & Reference Sources: Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and National Wildlife Database.