List of Wildlife Sanctuary and National Parks

Ecology, one of the Biology Topics, examines the interactions between organisms and their environment.

What are Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks ? Write the Differences Between them.

The term ‘sanctuary’ means ‘a place of safety’. So, ‘wildlife sanctuary’ means ‘the place where wild animals remain safe’. A Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area of land which is created for the protection of wild animals in their natural environment like forests (in which no hunting is permitted).

A Wildlife Sanctuary provides protection and suitable living conditions to the wild animals in their natural habitat. In a Wildlife Sanctuary killing (poaching) and capturing of wild animals is strictly prohibited. A Wildlife Sanctuary does not allow any human activity which disturbs the wild animals or their habitat.

So, in a Wildlife Sanctuary, animals live in natural environment, protected from people. Some of the threatened wild animals which are protected and preserved in our Wildlife Sanctuaries are : Black buck, White-eyed buck, Elephant, Golden cat, Pink-headed duck, Gharial, Marsh crocodile, Python and Rhinoceros.

India has preserved vast tracts of forests and natural habitats for its Wildlife Sanctuaries. The Wildlife Sanctuaries are spread across our country and provide a fascinating diversity of terrain, flora and fauna. Indian Wildlife Sanctuaries have unique landscapes-broad level forests, mountain forests and bush lands in deltas of big rivers.

India has more than 500 Wildlife Sanctuaries. Some Wildlife Sanctuaries are specifically named Bird Sanctuaries because their major inhabitants are birds. The names of some of the Wildlife Sanctuaries of India and their locations are given below :

1. Sanjay Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary (Maharashtra)
2. Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary (Tamilnadu)
3. Nagarjunsagar Wildlife Sanctuary (Andhra Pradesh)
4. Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary (Rajasthan)
5. Sultanpur Lake Bird Sanctuary (Haryana)
6. Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary (Karnataka)
7. Thattekad Bird Sanctuary (Kerala)
8. Satkosia Basipalli Wildlife Sanctuary (West Bengal)
9. Lockchao Wildlife Sanctuary (Manipur)
10. Bori Wildlife Sanctuary (Madhya Pradesh)

We have already discussed Biosphere Reserve and now we have discussed Wildlife Sanctuary. Both, Biosphere Reserves and Wildlife Sanctuaries are the legally protected areas for the conservation of wildlife and its environment. The main differences between a Biosphere Reserve and a Wildlife Sanctuary are given below:

Biosphere Reserve	Wildlife Sanctuary
1. A Biosphere Reserve is spread over a very large area of land.	1. A Wildlife Sanctuary occupies a comparatively smaller area of land.
2. A Biosphere Reserve is for the conservation of biodiversity of the area as well as the economic development of the area.	2. A Wildlife Sanctuary is mainly for the protection of wild animals of the area in their natural habitat.
3. Local people (tribals) form an integral part of a Biosphere Reserve.	3. Local people do not form an integral part of a Wildlife Sanctuary.
4. The human activities such as cultivation of land and building of settlements (houses) are allowed in the outermost zone of a Biosphere Reserve.	4. The human activities such as cultivation of land and building of settlements (houses) are not allowed in a Wildlife Sanctuary.

We have all visited a zoo sometime or the other. The term ‘zoo’ is the short form of ‘zoological garden’ or ‘zoological park’. A large garden (or park) where many types of wild animals and birds brought from different parts of the country and the world are kept in cages or enclosures, so that people can see them, is called a zoo.

A ‘Wildlife Sanctuary’ provides protection to the wild animals and a ‘Zoo’ also provides protection to the wild animals. The main differences between a Wildlife Sanctuary and a Zoo are given below :

Wildlife Sanctuary	Zoo
1. In a Wildlife Sanctuary, the wild animals and birds live in their natural habitat in the forest.	1. In a Zoo, the wild animals and birds live in artificial settings such as cages and enclosures.
2. A Wildlife Sanctuary contains wild animals and birds found locally.	2. A Zoo contains wild animals and birds brought from the different parts of the country and from various other countries of the world.
3. A Wildlife Sanctuary is not open to public freely like a zoo. Public can visit a Wildlife Sanctuary only when accompanied by the forest guards.	3. A Zoo is open to public for a fixed time everyday.
4. Wild animals and birds are very comfortable in the natural environment of a Wildlife Sanctuary.	4. Wild animals and birds are not comfortable living in the artificial environment of a Zoo.

National Parks

A National Park is a relatively large area of scenic beauty protected and maintained by the Government to preserve flora and fauna (plants and animals), landscape, historic objects of the area and places of scientific interest. Another purpose of establishing National Parks is to provide human recreation and enjoyment.

People are allowed to enter National Parks (under certain conditions) to see wild animals roaming about in their natural environment, and historic objects of the area for recreational, enjoyment, inspirational and educative purposes.

Basically, a National Park is an area reserved for the conservation of Wildlife within which such public recreational activity is permitted which is compatible with the primary objective of conservation. National Parks are large and diverse enough to protect whole sets of ecosystems.

The exploitation of natural resources in a National Park is strictly prohibited. National Parks are protected from most of the developmental schemes (like construction of dams, etc.) so that their natural attractions are preserved. The human activities such as mining, hunting and fishing, etc., are not allowed inside a National Park.

India has more than 80 National Parks. Many of these National Parks were initially Wildlife Sanctuaries. Some of the prominent National Parks of India and the States in which they are located are given below :

1. Corbett National Park (Uttarakhand)
2. Kanha National Park (Madhya Pradesh)
3. Ranthambore National Park (Rajasthan)
4. Gir National Park (Gujarat)
5. Kaziranga National Park (Assam)
6. Sunderbans National Park (West Bengal)
7. Bandipur National Park (Karnataka)
8. Dachigam National Park (Jammu and Kashmir)
9. Sariska National Park (Rajasthan)
10. Satpura National Park (Madhya Pradesh)

We will now discuss the Satpura National Park in detail. Satpura National Park in Madhya Pradesh is the first Forest Reserve of India. The finest Indian teak is found in this forest. The objects of historical importance called rock shelters are found inside the Satpura National Park.

These rock shelters are the evidence of pre-historic human life in these jungles. They give us an idea of the life of the primitive people who lived in this area long ago. A total of 55 rock shelters have been identified in this area. Rock paintings are found in these rock shelters. These rock paintings depict the figures of men (and animals) fighting, hunting, dancing and playing musical instruments.

The rock shelters and rock paintings are one of the major tourist attractions of Satpura National Park. Satpura National Park has a large species of wild animals in it. Some of the wild animals found in Satpura National Park are : Tiger, Gaur (Indian bison), Leopard, Indian giant squirrel, Sambar, Sloth bear, Cheetal, Barking deer, Wild boar, Rhesus monkey, Langur, Nilgai, Hyena, Wild dog, Porcupine, Marsh crocodile and Four-horned antelope.

Tiger is one of the many wild life species (or wild animals) which are slowly disappearing from our forests (see Figure).

There is a ‘Satpura Tiger Reserve’ in the Satpura National Park which is part of Project Tiger. Project Tiger is a wildlife conservation project which was launched by the Government of India in 1972 to protect the tigers in the country.

The objective of this project was to ensure the survival and maintenance of the tiger population in specially constituted ‘Tiger Reserves’ throughout India. There are 28 Tiger Reserves in India at present which are governed by ‘Project Tiger’ Under ‘Project Tiger a significant increase in the population of tigers has been seen in the Satpura Tiger Reserve of Satpura National Park.

Once upon a time, the wild animals such as lions, elephants,wild buffaloes and barasingha were also found in the Satpura National Park (see Figure).

All these wild animals have now vanished from this area due to illegal activities of the people living in the nearby areas. It is a pity that even the protected Forest Reserves are not safe because people living in the neighbourhood encroach upon them and destroy them and the wildlife present in them to make some quick money.

This must be stopped immediately. Before we end this discussion on National Parks, we would like to give the main differences between a Wildlife Sanctuary and a National Park.

Wildlife Sanctuary	National Park
1. A Wildlife Sanctuary may or may not be an area of great scenic beauty.	1. A National Park is an area of great scenic beauty.
2. A Wildlife Sanctuary protects and preserves the wild animals in their natural environment.	2. A National Park protects and preserves wild animals and their environment as well as the scenic beauty, historical objects and habitats of scientific interest in the area.
3. A Wildlife Sanctuary is not meant for recreation and enjoyment of the public. It is dedicated to the protection of wild animals only.	3. In a National Park, in addition to protection, wild animals are kept for recreation, enjoyment and educative interests of the public.
4. A Wildlife Sanctuary usually does not allow easy access to the visitors.	4. A National Park allows easy access for the visitors to the land and wildlife inside it.