Protected areas of Tamil Nadu cover an area of 3305km2, constituting 2.54% of the geographic area and 15% of the 22643km2 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.
There are three Biosphere Reserves in Tamil Nadu.[2]
| Name | District | Area | Established | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf of Mannar | Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi | 10500km2 | 1989 | |
| Nilgiris | Nilgiris | 5520km2 | 1986 | |
| Agasthyamalai | Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli | 3500.36km2 | 2001 |
Tamil Nadu has five National Parks covering 307.84km2.[2]
| Name | District | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anamalai | Coimbatore, Tiruppur | 117.1km2 | 1989 |
| Mudumalai | Nilgiris | 103.24km2 | 1990 |
| Mukurthi | Nilgiris | 78.46km2 | 1982 |
| Gulf of Mannar | Ramanathapuram | 6.23km2 | 1980 |
| Guindy | Chennai | 2.82km2 | 1976 |
Tamil Nadu has 18 wildlife sanctuaries.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]
| Name | District | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anamalai | Coimbatore, Tiruppur | 841.49km2 | 1976 |
| Cauvery North | Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri | 504.34km2 | 2015 |
| Cauvery South | Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri | 686.4km2 | 2022 |
| Gangaikondan | Tirunelveli | 288.4km2 | 2013 |
| Grizzled Squirrel | Virudhunagar | 485km2 | 1988 |
| Kadavur | Dindigul, Karur | 118.06km2 | 2022 |
| Kalakkad | Tirunelveli | 223.58km2 | 1962 |
| Kanyakumari | Kanyakumari | 457.78km2 | 2008 |
| Megamalai | Madurai, Theni | 269.1km2 | 2009 |
| Mudumalai | Nilgiris | 217.76km2 | 1940 |
| Kodaikanal | Dindigul, Theni | 608.95km2 | 2008 |
| Mundanthurai | Tirunelveli | 282.08km2 | 1962 |
| Point Calimere | Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur | 124.07km2 | 1967 |
| Sathyamangalam | Erode | 1411.6km2 | 2008 |
| Periyar | Erode | 805.67km2 | 2023 |
| Tirunelveli | Tirunelveli | 356.73km2 | 2015 |
| Vallanadu | Thoothukudi | 16.41km2 | 1987 |
There are five declared elephant sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu as per Project Elephant.[2]
| Name | District | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agasthyamalai | Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli | 1197.48km2 | 2022 |
| Anamalai | Coimbatore, Tiruppur | 1457km2 | 2003 |
| Coimbatore | Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode | 566km2 | 2003 |
| Nilgiris | Nilgiris | 4663km2 | 2003 |
| Srivilliputtur | Madurai, Theni | 1249km2 | 2003 |
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 | 958.59km2 | 2008 |
| Kalakkad-Mundanthurai | Tirunelveli | 895km2 | 1988 |
| Nilgiris | 367.59km2 | 2007 | |
| Sathyamangalam | Erode | 1408.6km2 | 2011 |
| Megamalai | Madurai, Theni | 1016.57km2 | 2021 |
There are seventeen declared bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu.[2] [10] [11] [12] [13]
| Name | District | Area | Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chitrangudi | Ramanathapuram | 0.48km2 | 1989 |
| Kallaperambur | Thanjavur | 0.64km2 | 2015 |
| Ramanathapuram | 1.04km2 | 1989 | |
| Karaivetti | Ariyalur | 4.54km2 | 1989 |
| Karikili | Chengalpattu | 0.612km2 | 1988 |
| Kazhuveli | Villupuram | 51.56km2 | 2021 |
| Koothankulam | Tirunelveli | 1.2933km2 | 1994 |
| Melaselvanur–Kilaselvanur | Ramanathapuram | 5.93km2 | 1998 |
| Nanjarayan Tank | Tiruppur | 1.26km2 | 2022 |
| Point Calimere | Nagapattinam | 17.26km2 | 1987 |
| Pulicat | Thiruvallur | 461.02km2 | 1976 |
| Suchindram Theroor | Kanyakumari | 0.94km2 | 2002 |
| Udayamarthandapuram | Thiruvarur | 0.45km2 | 1999 |
| Vaduvoor | Thiruvarur | 1.28km2 | 1999 |
| Vedanthangal | Kanchipuram | 0.3km2 | 1936 |
| Vellode | Erode | 0.772km2 | 1996 |
| Vettangudi | Sivagangai | 0.344km2 | 1977 |
| Viralimalai | Tiruchirappalli | ||
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]