National Parks of India: First, Largest and Famous

India is among the world's richest countries in biodiversity — home to tigers, lions, elephants, rhinos, snow leopards and thousands of kinds of birds. To protect them, the country has set up more than 100 national parks. Here are key facts about the national parks of India — the first, the largest, the smallest and the most unusual.

National park, sanctuary and biosphere reserve: the difference

Type	What it means
National park	The strictest protection; no grazing or private activities allowed
Wildlife sanctuary	Some limited human activities may be allowed
Biosphere reserve	A large area with a protected core, while people live and work in the outer parts

All of these are set up under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972.

National parks that hold records

The first: Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand was set up in 1936 as "Hailey National Park". "Project Tiger" was launched here in 1973.
The largest: Hemis National Park in Ladakh, home of the snow leopard.
The smallest: South Button Island National Park in the Andamans.
The floating one: Keibul Lamjao on Loktak Lake in Manipur — the world's only floating national park, home of the endangered sangai deer.

Famous national parks and their animals

Park	State	Famous for
Kaziranga	Assam	The one-horned rhino (about two-thirds of the world's total)
Gir	Gujarat	The Asiatic lion — found wild nowhere else
Sundarbans	West Bengal	Tigers of the mangrove forest
Kanha	Madhya Pradesh	The barasingha (swamp deer)
Periyar	Kerala	Elephants
Kuno	Madhya Pradesh	Cheetahs brought back to India in 2022
Keoladeo	Rajasthan	Migratory birds

Did you know? Several of India's national parks are UNESCO World Heritage Sites — such as Kaziranga, Keoladeo, Manas, the Sundarbans, Nanda Devi and the Valley of Flowers, and the Great Himalayan National Park.

The return of the cheetah

The cheetah was declared extinct in India in 1952. On 17 September 2022, cheetahs brought from Namibia were released into Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, and more were later brought from South Africa. It is the world's first project to move a large carnivore from one continent to another. Read about the difference between lions and tigers in Lion vs tiger.

A success story: saving the tiger

When "Project Tiger" began in 1973 there were only 9 tiger reserves; today the country has more than 50. According to the All India Tiger Estimation of 2022, India has about 3,682 tigers — about 75% of the world's wild tigers. To count them, thousands of "camera traps" are set up in the forests, and each tiger is identified by its stripes, because no two tigers have the same pattern. "Project Elephant" began in 1992, and India has the largest number of Asian elephants. In Kaziranga, the 2022 count found 2,613 rhinos.

Rules for visiting a national park

Go only in authorised safari vehicles, with a guide.
Wear light, natural colours; bright clothes can disturb the animals.
Keep the flash off when taking photos, and keep a safe distance from the animals.
Do not feed the animals, make noise or carry plastic.
Most parks close during the monsoon (roughly July to September), so that animals can breed undisturbed.

Key points

India has more than 100 national parks.
The first national park is Jim Corbett (1936).
The largest is Hemis (Ladakh) and the smallest South Button Island (Andamans).
Keibul Lamjao is the world's only floating national park.
Cheetahs were brought back to Kuno National Park in 2022.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the first national park of India?

Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, set up in 1936 as Hailey National Park.

Which is the largest national park of India?

Hemis National Park in Ladakh.

The national parks of India: the first, the largest and the most unusual