<mapframe width="400" height="400" text="Wildlife sanctuaries in India"> { "type": "ExternalData", "service": "geoshape", "properties": { "stroke": "#00ff00", "stroke-width": 2 }, "query": "\nSELECT ?id ?idLabel\n(concat('', ?idLabel, '') as ?title)\nWHERE\n{\n?id wdt:P814 wd:Q14545639. # is a district\n?id wdt:P17 wd:Q668. # in India\nSERVICE wikibase:label { bd:serviceParam wikibase:language 'en'}\n}"} </mapframe> A wildlife sanctuary in India is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or other interest, which is reserved and managed for conservation and to provide opportunities for study or research. The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 provides for the establishment of protected areas in India.
Wildlife sanctuaries of India, are classified as IUCN Category IV protected areas. 573 wildlife sanctuaries have been established, covering . Among these, Project Tiger governs 53 tiger reserves, which are of special significance for the conservation of the Bengal tiger. Additionally, there are 33 elephant reserves covering established under the Project Elephant, some of which overlap with the boundaries of declared wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves.
Established in 1936, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary in Tamil Nadu was the first bird sanctuary in the country and the Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary was established later in 1940. Spanning , Kutch Desert Wildlife Sanctuary in Gujarat is the largest wildlife sanctuary in the country and spanning just , Kutch Bustard Sanctuary in Gujarat is the smallest wildlife sanctuary in the country. Andaman and Nicobar Islands has the most number of wildlife sanctuaries (97).