Protected areas of Tamil Nadu cover an area of 3,305 km2 (1,276 sq mi), constituting 2.54% of the geographic area and 15% of the 22,643 km2 (8,743 sq mi) recorded forest area of the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. It ranks 14th among all the states and union territories of India in terms of total protected area.[1]

Protected areas in South India were created from private hunting grounds of the erstwhile Maharajas of the princely states. Mudumalai National Park was established in 1940 and was the first modern wildlife sanctuary in South India. The protected areas are administered by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Government of India and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department.


Biosphere reserves

There are three Biosphere Reserves in Tamil Nadu.[2]

Name District Area Established
Gulf of Mannar Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi 10,500 km2 (4,100 sq mi) 1989
Nilgiris Nilgiris 5,520 km2 (2,130 sq mi) 1986
Agasthyamalai Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli 3,500.36 km2 (1,351.50 sq mi) 2001

National parks

Tamil Nadu has five National Parks covering 307.84 km2 (118.86 sq mi).[2]

Name District Area Established
Anamalai Coimbatore, Tiruppur 117.1 km2 (45.2 sq mi) 1989
Mudumalai Nilgiris 103.24 km2 (39.86 sq mi) 1990
Mukurthi Nilgiris 78.46 km2 (30.29 sq mi) 1982
Gulf of Mannar Ramanathapuram 6.23 km2 (2.41 sq mi) 1980
Guindy Chennai 2.82 km2 (1.09 sq mi) 1976

Wildlife sanctuaries

Tamil Nadu has 18 wildlife sanctuaries.[2][3][4][5][6]

Name District Area Established
Anamalai Coimbatore, Tiruppur 841.49 km2 (324.90 sq mi) 1976
Cauvery North Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri 504.34 km2 (194.73 sq mi) 2015
Cauvery South Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri 686.4 km2 (265.0 sq mi) 2022
Gangaikondan Tirunelveli 288.4 km2 (111.4 sq mi) 2013
Grizzled Squirrel Virudhunagar 485 km2 (187 sq mi) 1988
Kadavur Dindigul, Karur 118.06 km2 (45.58 sq mi) 2022
Kalakkad Tirunelveli 223.58 km2 (86.32 sq mi) 1962
Kanyakumari Kanyakumari 457.78 km2 (176.75 sq mi) 2008
Megamalai Madurai, Theni 269.1 km2 (103.9 sq mi) 2009
Mudumalai Nilgiris 217.76 km2 (84.08 sq mi) 1940
Kodaikanal Dindigul, Theni 608.95 km2 (235.12 sq mi) 2008
Mundanthurai Tirunelveli 282.08 km2 (108.91 sq mi) 1962
Point Calimere Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur 124.07 km2 (47.90 sq mi) 1967
Sathyamangalam Erode 1,411.6 km2 (545.0 sq mi) 2008
Periyar Erode 805.67 km2 (311.07 sq mi) 2023
Tirunelveli Tirunelveli 356.73 km2 (137.73 sq mi) 2015
Vallanadu Thoothukudi 16.41 km2 (6.34 sq mi) 1987

Elephant reserves

There are five declared elephant sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu as per Project Elephant.[2]

Name District Area Established
Agasthyamalai Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli 1,197.48 km2 (462.35 sq mi) 2022
Anamalai Coimbatore, Tiruppur 1,457 km2 (563 sq mi) 2003
Coimbatore Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode 566 km2 (219 sq mi) 2003
Nilgiris Nilgiris 4,663 km2 (1,800 sq mi) 2003
Srivilliputtur Madurai, Theni 1,249 km2 (482 sq mi) 2003

Tiger reserves

Tamil Nadu participates in Project Tiger and has five declared tiger reserves.[2][7][8][9]

Name District Area Established
Anamalai Tiger Reserve Coimbatore, Tiruppur 958.59 km2 (370.11 sq mi) 2008
Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tirunelveli 895 km2 (346 sq mi) 1988
Mudumalai Nilgiris 367.59 km2 (141.93 sq mi) 2007
Sathyamangalam Erode 1,408.6 km2 (543.9 sq mi) 2011
Megamalai Madurai, Theni 1,016.57 km2 (392.50 sq mi) 2021

Bird sanctuaries

There are seventeen declared bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu.[2][10][11][12][13]

Name District Area Established
Chitrangudi Ramanathapuram .48 km2 (0.19 sq mi) 1989
Kallaperambur Thanjavur .64 km2 (0.25 sq mi) 2015
Kanjirankulam Ramanathapuram 1.04 km2 (0.40 sq mi) 1989
Karaivetti Ariyalur 4.54 km2 (1.75 sq mi) 1989
Karikili Chengalpattu 0.612 km2 (0.236 sq mi) 1988
Kazhuveli Villupuram 51.56 km2 (19.91 sq mi) 2021
Koothankulam Tirunelveli 1.2933 km2 (0.4993 sq mi) 1994
Melaselvanur–Kilaselvanur Ramanathapuram 5.93 km2 (2.29 sq mi) 1998
Nanjarayan Tank Tiruppur 1.26 km2 (0.49 sq mi) 2022
Point Calimere Nagapattinam 17.26 km2 (6.66 sq mi) 1987
Pulicat Thiruvallur 461.02 km2 (178.00 sq mi) 1976
Suchindram Theroor Kanyakumari 0.94 km2 (0.36 sq mi) 2002
Udayamarthandapuram Thiruvarur 0.45 km2 (0.17 sq mi) 1999
Vaduvoor Thiruvarur 1.28 km2 (0.49 sq mi) 1999
Vedanthangal Kanchipuram 0.3 km2 (0.12 sq mi) 1936
Vellode Erode 0.772 km2 (0.298 sq mi) 1996
Vettangudi Sivagangai 0.344 km2 (0.133 sq mi) 1977
Viralimalai Tiruchirappalli

Zoos, reserves and animal farms

There is one conservation reserve at Tiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur district. There are two zoos recognised by the Central Zoo Authority of India namely Arignar Anna Zoological Park and Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, both located in Chennai.[14] The state has other smaller zoos run by local administrative bodies such as Coimbatore Zoo in Coimbatore, Amirthi Zoological Park in Vellore, Kurumpampatti Wildlife Park in Salem, Yercaud Deer Park in Yercaud, Mukkombu Deer Park in Tiruchirapalli and Ooty Deer Park in Nilgiris.[2]

There are five crocodile farms located at Amaravati in Coimbatore district, Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri district, Kurumbapatti in Salem district, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai and Sathanur in Tiruvannamalai district.[2]

References

  1. "Wild Biodiversity". Tamil Nadu Forest Dept. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Bio-Diversity and Wild Life in Tamil Nadu". ENVIS. Retrieved 15 March 2018.
  3. "Tamil Nadu's 18th wildlife sanctuary to come up in Erode". The New Indian Express. 21 March 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  4. "Tamil Nadu notifies Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary as state's 17th wildlife sanctuary". The New Indian Express. 10 November 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  5. "Tamil Nadu notifies India's first slender loris sanctuary". The Hindu. 12 October 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  6. "State gets exclusive sanctuary for spotted deer". The Hindu. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  7. Murari, S. (31 December 2008). "Thousands Protest Against Indian Tiger Reserve". Planet Ark. Reuters. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 30 October 2009.
  8. "Eight New Tiger Reserves". Press Release. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Press Information Bureau, Govt. of India. 13 November 2008. Retrieved 31 October 2009.
  9. Kumar, B. Aravind (6 February 2021). "Srivilliputhur–Megamalai Tiger Reserve in TN approved". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 28 May 2021.
  10. "Migratory birds flock to Vettangudi Sanctuary". The Hindu. 9 November 2004. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  11. "Declaring Viralimalai as a heritage place" (PDF) (pdf). Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department. 23 January 2008.
  12. "Tamil Nadu government notifies Nanjarayan tank in Tiruppur as bird sanctuary". The Hindu. 14 September 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  13. "Kazhuveli wetland in Tamil Nadu declared bird sanctuary". Indian Express. 7 December 2021. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  14. "Guindy Children's Park upgraded to medium zoo". The New Indian Express. 28 July 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.


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