National Parks Questions and Answers

India has 106 National Parks covering about 1.22% of India's total geographical area. National Parks are protected areas where wildlife is conserved and human activities are strictly limited. The first national park in India was Jim Corbett National Park (established 1936 in Uttarakhand). Major parks include Kaziranga (Assam), Sundarbans (West Bengal), Kanha (MP), and Ranthambore (Rajasthan).

Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand is India's oldest national park, established in 1936 as Hailey National Park. It was renamed after Jim Corbett, a famous hunter-naturalist. It is famous for Bengal tigers and was the site of India's first Project Tiger reserve in 1973. The park covers 520 sq km and is home to tigers, elephants, leopards, and diverse bird species.

Kaziranga National Park in Assam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site famous for hosting two-thirds of the world's population of Indian one-horned rhinoceroses. It was declared a National Park in 1974. Kaziranga is also home to tigers, Asian elephants, wild buffaloes, and swamp deer. It has the highest density of tigers in the world and is also a Tiger Reserve.

Sundarbans National Park in West Bengal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the world's largest mangrove forest shared between India and Bangladesh. The park is home to Royal Bengal Tigers that have uniquely adapted to the mangrove habitat and swim in saltwater. It also harbors crocodiles, Ganges river dolphins, and hundreds of bird species.

Important Wildlife Sanctuaries: Gir Forest (Gujarat - only home of Asiatic Lions), Keoladeo Ghana (Rajasthan - migratory birds). Tiger Reserves under Project Tiger (launched 1973): India has 54+ Tiger Reserves. India's tiger population grew from 1827 (2014) to 3682 (2022), making it the world's largest. Important Tiger Reserves: Corbett, Bandipur (Karnataka), Tadoba (Maharashtra).