India Wildlife Sanctuaries List - Summary
Abhyaran (अभयारण्य) means Wildlife Sanctuary. In India, wildlife sanctuaries are protected areas created to conserve wild animals, birds, plants, and their natural habitats. These areas help protect endangered species and maintain ecological balance. India has 500+ wildlife sanctuaries spread across different states and union territories.
India has over 500 wildlife sanctuaries! It’s interesting to know that many national parks we visit today started as wildlife sanctuaries. Some of these sanctuaries are very important for India because they protect animals found nowhere else.
India Wildlife Sanctuaries List 2026: A Quick Look
Here is a table showing some popular wildlife sanctuaries in India, along with the state they are in and some of the main animals you might see there:
| Sanctuary/Park Name | State | Main Wildlife Species |
|---|---|---|
| Palamu Sanctuary | Jharkhand | Elephants, Deer, Leopard, Sambhar, Wild Boar |
| Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary | Jharkhand | Elephants, Deer, Leopard, Bear, Wild Boar |
| Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary | Jharkhand | Cheetah, Bear, Leopard, Chital, Sambhar, Wild Boar |
| Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary | Bihar | Tiger, Nilgai, Gharial, Sambhar, Wild Boar |
| Gir National Park | Gujarat | Lion, Sambhar, Leopard, Wild Boar |
| Nal Sarovar Sanctuary | Gujarat | Water Birds |
| Jim Corbett National Park | Uttarakhand | Elephants, Tigers, Cheetah, Deer, Bear, Nilgai, Sambhar, Wild Boar |
| Dudhwa National Park | Uttar Pradesh | Elephants, Tigers, Cheetah, Deer, Nilgai, Leopard |
| Chandraprabha Sanctuary | Uttar Pradesh | Cheetah, Bear, Nilgai, Leopard, Sambhar |
| Bandipur National Park | Karnataka | Elephants, Cheetah, Leopard, Deer, Chital, Sambhar |
| Bhadra Sanctuary | Karnataka | Bear, Elephant, Sambhar, Leopard, Deer |
| Someshwar Sanctuary | Karnataka | Cheetah, Wild Dog, Deer, Leopard, Sambhar |
| Tungabhadra Sanctuary | Karnataka | Leopard, Chital, Blackbuck, Chousingha and Birds |
| Pakhal Wildlife Sanctuary | Andhra Pradesh | Cheetah, Leopard, Sambhar, Bear, Wild Boar |
| Kawla Wildlife Sanctuary | Andhra Pradesh | Cheetah, Leopard, Sambhar, Bear, Wild Boar, Chital |
| Manas National Park | Assam | Elephants, Cheetah, Bear, One-horned Rhinoceros, Langur, Deer |
| Kaziranga National Park | Assam | Cheetah, One-horned Rhinoceros, Wild Boar, Buffalo |
| Ghana Bird Sanctuary | Rajasthan | Sambhar, Blackbuck, Wild Boar, Fowl, Gharial, Siberian Crane |
| Ranthambhore Sanctuary | Rajasthan | Cheetah, Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Hyena, Bear, Nilgai, Sambhar |
| Kumbhalgarh Sanctuary | Rajasthan | Cheetah, Nilgai, Sambhar, Bear, Nilgai |
| Pench National Park | Madhya Pradesh | Cheetah, Nilgai, Sambhar, Bear, Wild Boar |
| Tansa Sanctuary | Maharashtra | Leopard, Sambhar, Chousingha, Wild Boar, Chital, Birds |
| Borivali National Park | Maharashtra | Langur, Deer, Sambhar, Leopard, Wild Boar |
| Abohar Sanctuary | Punjab | Wild Boar, Deer, Nilgai, Black Swan, Pigeon |
| Chikla Sanctuary | Odisha | Crane, Heron, Pelican, Migratory Birds |
| Simlipal Sanctuary | Odisha | Elephants, Tigers, Cheetah, Leopard, Sambhar, Deer, Crocodile, Aquatic Birds |
| Vedantgal Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Aquatic Birds |
| Indira Gandhi Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Elephants, Tiger, Chital, Leopard, Sambhar, Bear, Wild Dog, Langur |
| Mudumalai Sanctuary | Tamil Nadu | Elephants, Cheetah, Leopard, Sambhar, Deer, Wild Dogs |
| Dampha Sanctuary | Mizoram | Cobra, Cheetah, Cat, Pheasant |
| Periyar Sanctuary | Kerala | Cheetah, Elephant, Leopard, Sambhar, Deer, Bear, Nilgai, Wild Boar |
| Parambikulam Sanctuary | Kerala | Cheetah, Elephant, Leopard, Sambhar, Deer, Nilgai, Wild Boar |
| Kanha National Park | Madhya Pradesh | Tiger, Chital, Leopard, Sambhar, Barasingha |
| Panchmarhi Sanctuary | Madhya Pradesh | Tiger, Leopard, Sambhar, Nilgai, Chital, Deer, Bear, Wild Buffalo |
| Dachigam National Park | Jammu and Kashmir | Leopard, Black Bear, Brown Bear, Deer |
| Kishtwar National Park | Jammu and Kashmir | Blackbuck, Wild Yak, Tibetan Ass |
| Bandhavgarh National Park | Madhya Pradesh | Tiger, Leopard, Sambhar, Bear, Chakor |
| Nagarhole National Park | Karnataka | Cheetah, Elephant, Leopard, Sambhar, Bear, Chakor, Partridge |
| Pakhui Wildlife Sanctuary | Arunachal Pradesh | Elephant, Python, Deer, Sambhar |
| Sultanpur Lake Sanctuary | Haryana | Different Water Birds |
| Rohtang National Park | Himachal Pradesh | Musk Deer, Brown Bear, Hill Partridge, Hill Leopard |
| Sundarban National Park | West Bengal | Tiger, Cheetah, Deer, Crocodile |
| Bhagwan Mahavir Park | Goa | Deer, Mouse, Hog Deer, Sambhar |
| Nongkhailam Sanctuary | Meghalaya | Elephants, Cheetah, Tiger, Deer, Sambhar, Bear |
| Kibul Lamjao National Park | Manipur | Deer, Wild Goat, Various Water Birds |
Some of the Top 10 Wildlife Sanctuaries in India (2025)
Did you know some wildlife sanctuaries are much larger or very well-known? Here are details about some important ones:
| Sanctuary Name | Details |
|---|---|
| 1. Hemis National Park | Started: 1981 State: Jammu and Kashmir Area: 4,400 sq km (Known for Snow Leopards!) |
| 2. Desert National Park | Started: 1981 State: Rajasthan Area: 3,162 sq km (Great for Desert wildlife) |
| 3. Gangotri National Park | State: Uttarakhand Area: 2,390 sq km (Home to beautiful Himalayan animals) |
| 4. Namdapha National Park | State: Arunachal Pradesh Area: 1,985.2 sq km (Lots of different animals and plants here) |
| 5. Kangchenjunga National Park | State: Sikkim Area: 1,784 sq km (Beautiful views and unique animals) |
| 6. Guru Ghasidas National Park | Started: 1981 State: Chhattisgarh Area: 1,440.7 sq km |
| 7. Gir Forest National Park | State: Gujarat Area: 1,412 sq km (The only place to see Asiatic Lions!) |
| 8. Sundarbans National Park | Started: 1984 State: West Bengal Area: 1,330.1 sq km (Famous for Royal Bengal Tigers) |
| 9. Jim Corbett National Park | Started: 1936 State: Uttarakhand Area: 1,318.5 sq km (India’s oldest national park) |
| 10. Indravati National Park | Started: 1975 State: Chhattisgarh Area: 1,258.4 sq km |
Visiting a wildlife sanctuary is a great way to see India’s amazing wildlife up close and also help protect these important areas for the future.
