Wildlife Reserves: Complete GK Capsule for Railway Exams

1. Introduction & Key Facts

• India is one of the 17 mega-bio-diverse countries with 4 global biodiversity hotspots.
• Protected Area Network: 1,031 (Jan 2024)
  • National Parks (NP): 106
  • Wildlife Sanctuaries (WLS): 573
  • Conservation Reserves (CR): 220
  • Community Reserves (CmR): 132
• Total geographical area under formal protection ≈ 5.03 % of India’s landmass.

2. Classification of Wildlife Reserves

3. Timeline of Important Events

4. Project Tiger – Current Status (Jan 2024)

• Total Tiger Reserves: 53 (2024)
• Tiger Range States: 20

5. Project Elephant – Quick Facts

• Launch: 1992
• Elephant Reserves: 33 (as of 2023)
• Wild Elephant Population 2017: 27,312 (South & NE India max)
• Highest population: Karnataka (6,049)

6. UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites (India)

7. Biosphere Reserves (BR) – Key Points

• Total: 18 (12 in UNESCO’s MAB list)
• First: Nilgiri BR (1986, TN-Kerala-Karnataka)
• Largest: Gulf of Mannar BR (10,500 km²)
• Smallest: Dibru-Saikhowa BR (765 km²)

8. Marine Protected Areas

9. One-Liner Revision Bullets

• Jim Corbett NP – First to come under Project Tiger (1973).
• Ranthambore NP – famous for tiger sightings, located in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan.
• Gir NP – last abode of Asiatic Lion; state animal of Gujarat.
• Dudhwa NP – only NP in UP with all three big cats (tiger, leopard, swamp deer).
• Silent Valley NP – Kerala, no prior human habitation, core of Nilgiri BR.
• Keoladeo Ghana – Ramsar site & Siberian crane wintering ground.
• Sundarbans – largest tidal mangrove forest; Bengal tiger is excellent swimmer.
• Periyar TR – around artificial Periyar lake; famous for boat-based tiger census.
• Sariska TR – tiger reintroduction started 2008 (first relocation in India).
• Panna TR – zero tiger to over 65 tigers in 15 years (success story).
• Dachigam NP – hangul/kashmir stag habitat near Srinagar.
• Namdapha NP – easternmost NP (Arunachal), 3rd largest in India.
• Great Himalayan NP – temperate alpine species; UNESCO WH 2014.
• Pench TR – inspiration for “The Jungle Book” (MP-Maharashtra border).
• Satpura TR – only TR in India where walking safari is allowed.
• Melghat TR – first tiger reserve of Maharashtra (1973-74).
• Mudumalai TR – tri-junction of Karnataka-Kerala-Tamil Nadu.
• Parambikulam TR – managed by Kerala & Tamil Nadu jointly.
• Bori-Satpura – India’s first forest reserve (1865) & first TR of MP.
• Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary – Gujarat’s first Ramsar site (2021).

10. Tables for Quick Reference

Top-5 Tiger Populated Reserves (2022)

State-wise NP & WLS (2024)

Practice MCQs

Q1. Which was the first National Park established in India?
A. Bandipur NP
B. Hailey NP
C. Kaziranga NP
D. Gir NP
Answer: B. Hailey NP (now Jim Corbett)

Q2. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 does NOT recognise which of the following categories?
A. National Park
B. Wildlife Sanctuary
C. Biosphere Reserve
D. Conservation Reserve
Answer: C. Biosphere Reserve (covered under separate MAB programme)

Q3. India’s largest tiger reserve by area is
A. Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam
B. Sundarbans
C. Kanha
D. Corbett
Answer: A. Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam

Q4. Project Elephant was launched in
A. 1972
B. 1982
C. 1992
D. 2002
Answer: C. 1992

Q5. Which of the following pairs is NOT correctly matched?
A. Silent Valley – Kerala
B. Dachigam – Jammu & Kashmir
C. Keoladeo – Uttar Pradesh
D. Tadoba – Maharashtra
Answer: C. Keoladeo is in Rajasthan

Q6. Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve is located in
A. Kerala & Lakshadweep
B. Tamil Nadu
C. Gujarat
D. Odisha
Answer: B. Tamil Nadu

Q7. The only state with three major tiger landscapes—Dudhwa, Pilibhit and Kaimur—is
A. Madhya Pradesh
B. Uttar Pradesh
C. Karnataka
D. Assam
Answer: B. Uttar Pradesh

Q8. Which sanctuary is famous for the Indian Wild Ass?
A. Rann of Kachchh WLS
B. Chilika WLS
C. Dibru-Saikhowa WLS
D. Tal Chhapar WLS
Answer: A. Rann of Kachchh WLS

Q9. UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site status was given to Western Ghats in
A. 1988
B. 2000
C. 2012
D. 2018
Answer: C. 2012

Q10. India’s first Community Reserve for black-necked crane is
A. Kibber CR
B. Gogabeel CR
C. Kokrebellur CmR
D. Mangalajodi CmR
Answer: A. Kibber CR (Ladakh)

Q11. Sariska Tiger Reserve is situated in
A. Gujarat
B. Rajasthan
C. Haryana
D. Punjab
Answer: B. Rajasthan

Q12. As per 2022 estimation, India accounts for roughly what % of global wild tiger population?
A. 50 %
B. 60 %
C. 70 %
D. 75 %
Answer: D. ~75 %

Q13. Panna Tiger Reserve is located on the river
A. Narmada
B. Ken
C. Betwa
D. Tapti
Answer: B. Ken

Q14. Which Biosphere Reserve of India is NOT included in UNESCO MAB list?
A. Manas
B. Dibru-Saikhowa
C. Agasthyamalai
D. Pachmarhi
Answer: B. Dibru-Saikhowa (only 12 of 18 BRs are listed)

Q15. Melghat Tiger Reserve is in
A. Maharashtra
B. Chhattisgarh
C. Odisha
D. Telangana
Answer: A. Maharashtra

Q16. “Tiger Relocation Programme” in India was first initiated in
A. Panna
B. Sariska
C. Rajaji
D. Satpura
Answer: B. Sariska (2008)

Q17. India’s 50th Tiger Reserve is
A. Kamlang (Arunachal)
B. Kaimur (UP)
C. Guru Ghasidas (Chhattisgarh)
D. Bor (Maharashtra)
Answer: B. Kaimur (2022)

Q18. Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is jointly managed by
A. Kerala & Karnataka
B. Tamil Nadu & Kerala
C. Kerala & Forest Development Corp. Tamil Nadu
D. Karnataka & Tamil Nadu
Answer: B. Kerala & Tamil Nadu (agreement signed)

Q19. National Board for Wildlife is chaired by
A. Minister of Environment, Forest & CC
B. Prime Minister
C. President
D. Cabinet Secretary
Answer: B. Prime Minister

Q20. India’s first marine National Park is
A. Mahatma Gandhi Marine NP
B. Gulf of Kachchh Marine NP
C. Marine NP of Goa
D. Rani Jhansi Marine NP
Answer: B. Gulf of Kachchh Marine NP (1980)

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