Protected areas of Tamil Nadu cover an area of , constituting 2.54% of the geographic area and 15% of the 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.
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 <div>
There are three Biosphere Reserves in Tamil Nadu.
Name District Area Established Gulf of Mannar Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi 1989 Nilgiris Nilgiris 1986 Agasthyamalai Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli 2001
National parks <div> Tamil Nadu has five National Parks covering .
Name District Area Established Anamalai Coimbatore, Tiruppur 1989 Mudumalai Nilgiris 1990 Mukurthi Nilgiris 1982 Gulf of Mannar Ramanathapuram 1980 Guindy Chennai 1976
Wildlife sanctuaries Tamil Nadu has 18 wildlife sanctuaries.
Name District Area Established Anamalai Coimbatore, Tiruppur 1976 Cauvery North Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri 2015 Cauvery South Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri 2022 Gangaikondan Tirunelveli 2013 Grizzled Squirrel Virudhunagar 1988 Kadavur Dindigul, Karur 2022 Kalakkad Tirunelveli 1962 Kanyakumari Kanyakumari 2008 Megamalai Madurai, Theni 2009 Mudumalai Nilgiris 1940 Kodaikanal Dindigul 2008 Mundanthurai Tirunelveli 1962 Point Calimere Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur 1967 Sathyamangalam Erode 2008 Periyar Erode 2023 Tirunelveli Tirunelveli 2015 Vallanadu Thoothukudi 1987
Elephant reserves <div>
There are five declared elephant sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu as per Project Elephant. Name District Area Established Agasthyamalai Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli 2022 Anamalai Coimbatore, Tiruppur 2003 Coimbatore Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode 2003 Nilgiris Nilgiris 2003 Srivilliputtur Madurai, virudhunagar Theni 2003
Tiger reserves <div>
Tamil Nadu participates in Project Tiger and has five declared tiger reserves.
Name District Area Established Anamalai Tiger Reserve Coimbatore, Tiruppur 2008 Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tirunelveli 1988 Mudumalai Nilgiris 2007 Sathyamangalam Erode 2011 Megamalai Madurai, Theni 2021
Bird sanctuaries There are seventeen declared bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu. Name District Area Established Chitrangudi Ramanathapuram 1989 Kallaperambur Thanjavur 2015 Kanjirankulam Ramanathapuram 1989 Karaivetti Ariyalur 1989 Karikili Chengalpattu 1988 Kazhuveli Villupuram 2021 Koothankulam Tirunelveli 1994 Melaselvanur–Kilaselvanur Ramanathapuram 1998 Nanjarayan Tank Tiruppur 2022 Point Calimere Nagapattinam 1987 Pulicat Thiruvallur 1976 Suchindram Theroor Kanyakumari 2002 Udayamarthandapuram Thiruvarur 1999 Vaduvoor Thiruvarur 1999 VedanthangalChengalpattu 1936 Vellode Erode 1996 Vettangudi Sivagangai 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. 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.
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.
References
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