MAJOR NATIONAL PARKS OF INDIA — LOCATION, WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE

PRERNA FOR IAS

         Mehnat Aapki, Guidance Humari

         Roz ki Prelims Practice — Experts ke Saath

MAJOR NATIONAL PARKS OF INDIA — LOCATION, WILDLIFE AND CONSERVATION SIGNIFICANCE

1. Introduction

• National Parks are legally protected areas created for the conservation of wildlife, forests, ecosystems and natural landscapes.
• They form an important part of India’s protected-area network under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972.
• NCERT notes that national parks and wildlife sanctuaries are key instruments for protecting threatened species and their habitats. (NCERT)

2. Gir National Park — Gujarat

• Gir National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat is globally famous as the principal natural habitat of the Asiatic lion.
• The dry deciduous forest and scrub ecosystem also supports leopards, deer, antelopes, reptiles and rich birdlife.
• Conservation efforts in Gir have enabled the Asiatic lion population to recover from very low historical levels.

3. Kaziranga National Park — Assam

• Kaziranga National Park is one of India’s most important wildlife areas and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• It is especially famous for the greater one-horned rhinoceros.
• Its floodplain ecosystem contains tall elephant grass, wetlands and woodland and also supports tigers, elephants, wild buffalo and swamp deer.

4. Kanha National Park — Madhya Pradesh

• Kanha National Park is located in the Maikal landscape of Madhya Pradesh.
• It is internationally known for conservation of the hard-ground barasingha, which once faced severe decline.
• The park contains sal forests, grasslands and diverse wildlife, including tiger, leopard, gaur and deer.
• Kanha is often associated with the landscapes that inspired descriptions in The Jungle Book tradition.

5. Bandipur National Park — Karnataka

• Bandipur National Park forms part of the larger Nilgiri landscape in southern India.
• It supports important populations of tiger, Asian elephant, gaur and deer.
• Together with neighbouring protected areas in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it forms one of India’s most significant wildlife corridors.

6. Ranthambore National Park — Rajasthan