Despite being a desert state, Rajasthan has good network of protected areas. Forests of Rajasthan are also very rich in wildlife and contain a varied range of prey and predator animals. Some of the best managed National Parks and Sanctuaries are located in the State. The State has two world heritage wetlands, namely the Keoleodev National Park, Bharatpur and Sambhar lake.
In Desert belt of the State, large number of wildlife is generally sighted outside forest areas also. Rajasthan also has the unique Desert National Park sanctuary.
This rich biodiversity thus attracts large number of tourists to Protected Areas of the State and has become popular tourist destination with large number of historical forts, palaces and religious places with heritage buildings.
Also Read: Different types of Wildlife Protected Area in India: The Basics
Wildlife Protected Areas in Rajasthan
There are 5 National Parks, 25 Wildlife Sanctuaries, and 11 Conservation Reserves in the State.
State of Rajasthan has following types of protected area:
- National Parks in Rajasthan
- Wildlife Sanctuaries in Rajasthan
- Conservation Reserves in Rajasthan
- Community Reserves in Rajasthan
- Tiger Reserves in Rajasthan
- Ramsar Wetlands in Rajasthan
Besides this, 3 Biological Parks at Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur have also been developed. Unfortunately, Rajasthan does not have any Biosphere Reserve ( based on UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere Program ) and being land-locked does not have any marine protected area (MPA).
References:
- Download high Resolution Map of Protected Areas of Rajasthan: here
- Feature Image Source: here