# List of protected areas of Tamil Nadu

Protected areas of Tamil Nadu cover an area of 3,305km2(1,276sqmi), constituting 2.54% of the geographic area and 15% of the 22,643km2(8,743sqmi) 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

There are three Biosphere Reserves in Tamil Nadu.
| Name | District | Area | Established |
| Gulf of Mannar | Ramanathapuram, Thoothukudi | 10,500 km$^2$ (4,100 sq mi) | 1989 |
| Nilgiris | Nilgiris | 5,520 km$^2$ (2,130 sq mi) | 1986 |
| Agasthyamalai | Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli | 3,500.36 km$^2$ (1,351.50 sq mi) | 2001 |

## National parks

Tamil Nadu has five National Parks covering 307.84 km$^2$ (118.86 sq mi).
| Name | District | Area | Established |
| Anamalai | Coimbatore, Tiruppur | 117.1 km$^2$ (45.2 sq mi) | 1989 |
| Mudumalai | Nilgiris | 103.24 km$^2$ (39.86 sq mi) | 1990 |
| Mukurthi | Nilgiris | 78.46 km$^2$ (30.29 sq mi) | 1982 |
| Gulf of Mannar | Ramanathapuram | 6.23 km$^2$ (2.41 sq mi) | 1980 |
| Guindy | Chennai | 2.82 km$^2$ (1.09 sq mi) | 1976 |

## Wildlife sanctuaries

Tamil Nadu has 18 wildlife sanctuaries.
| Name | District | Area | Established |
| Anamalai | Coimbatore, Tiruppur | 841.49 km$^2$ (324.90 sq mi) | 1976 |
| Cauvery North | Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri | 504.34 km$^2$ (194.73 sq mi) | 2015 |
| Cauvery South | Dharmapuri, Krishnagiri | 686.4 km$^2$ (265.0 sq mi) | 2022 |
| Gangaikondan | Tirunelveli | 288.4 km$^2$ (111.4 sq mi) | 2013 |
| Grizzled Squirrel | Virudhunagar | 485 km$^2$ (187 sq mi) | 1988 |
| Kadavur | Dindigul, Karur | 118.06 km$^2$ (45.58 sq mi) | 2022 |
| Kalakkad | Tirunelveli | 223.58 km$^2$ (86.32 sq mi) | 1962 |
| Kanyakumari | Kanyakumari | 457.78 km$^2$ (176.75 sq mi) | 2008 |
| Megamalai | Madurai, Theni | 269.1 km$^2$ (103.9 sq mi) | 2009 |
| Mudumalai | Nilgiris | 217.76 km$^2$ (84.08 sq mi) | 1940 |
| Kodaikanal | Dindigul, Theni | 608.95 km$^2$ (235.12 sq mi) | 2008 |
| Mundanthurai | Tirunelveli | 282.08 km$^2$ (108.91 sq mi) | 1962 |
| Point Calimere | Nagapattinam, Thanjavur, Tiruvarur | 124.07 km$^2$ (47.90 sq mi) | 1967 |
| Sathyamangalam | Erode | 1,411.6 km$^2$ (545.0 sq mi) | 2008 |
| Periyar | Erode | 805.67 km$^2$ (311.07 sq mi) | 2023 |
| Tirunelveli | Tirunelveli | 356.73 km$^2$ (137.73 sq mi) | 2015 |
| Vallanadu | Thoothukudi | 16.41 km$^2$ (6.34 sq mi) | 1987 |

## Elephant reserves

There are five declared elephant sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu as per Project Elephant.
| Name | District | Area | Established |
| Agasthyamalai | Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli | 1,197.48 km$^2$ (462.35 sq mi) | 2022 |
| Anamalai | Coimbatore, Tiruppur | 1,457 km$^2$ (563 sq mi) | 2003 |
| Coimbatore | Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode | 566 km$^2$ (219 sq mi) | 2003 |
| Nilgiris | Nilgiris | 4,663 km$^2$ (1,800 sq mi) | 2003 |
| Srivilliputtur | Madurai, Theni | 1,249 km$^2$ (482 sq mi) | 2003 |

## Tiger reserves

Tamil Nadu participates in Project Tiger and has five declared tiger reserves.
| Name | District | Area | Established |
| Anamalai Tiger Reserve | Coimbatore, Tiruppur | 958.59 km$^2$ (370.11 sq mi) | 2008 |
| Kalakkad-Mundanthurai | Tirunelveli | 895 km$^2$ (346 sq mi) | 1988 |
| Mudumalai | Nilgiris | 367.59 km$^2$ (141.93 sq mi) | 2007 |
| Sathyamangalam | Erode | 1,408.6 km$^2$ (543.9 sq mi) | 2011 |
| Megamalai | Madurai, Theni | 1,016.57 km$^2$ (392.50 sq mi) | 2021 |

## Bird sanctuaries

There are seventeen declared bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu.
| Name | District | Area | Established |
| Chitrangudi | Ramanathapuram | .48 km$^2$ (0.19 sq mi) | 1989 |
| Kallaperambur | Thanjavur | .64 km$^2$ (0.25 sq mi) | 2015 |
| Kanjirankulam | Ramanathapuram | 1.04 km$^2$ (0.40 sq mi) | 1989 |
| Karaivetti | Ariyalur | 4.54 km$^2$ (1.75 sq mi) | 1989 |
| Karikili | Chengalpattu | 0.612 km$^2$ (0.236 sq mi) | 1988 |
| Kazhuveli | Villupuram | 51.56 km$^2$ (19.91 sq mi) | 2021 |
| Koothankulam | Tirunelveli | 1.2933 km$^2$ (0.4993 sq mi) | 1994 |
| Melaselvanur–Kilaselvanur | Ramanathapuram | 5.93 km$^2$ (2.29 sq mi) | 1998 |
| Nanjarayan Tank | Tiruppur | 1.26 km$^2$ (0.49 sq mi) | 2022 |
| Point Calimere | Nagapattinam | 17.26 km$^2$ (6.66 sq mi) | 1987 |
| Pulicat | Thiruvallur | 461.02 km$^2$ (178.00 sq mi) | 1976 |
| Suchindram Theroor | Kanyakumari | 0.94 km$^2$ (0.36 sq mi) | 2002 |
| Udayamarthandapuram | Thiruvarur | 0.45 km$^2$ (0.17 sq mi) | 1999 |
| Vaduvoor | Thiruvarur | 1.28 km$^2$ (0.49 sq mi) | 1999 |
| Vedanthangal | Kanchipuram | 0.3 km$^2$ (0.12 sq mi) | 1936 |
| Vellode | Erode | 0.772 km$^2$ (0.298 sq mi) | 1996 |
| Vettangudi | Sivagangai | 0.344 km$^2$ (0.133 sq mi) | 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.