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Wildlife sanctuaries of Tamil Nadu: list with districts
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The Tamil Nadu Forest Department's sanctuaries page lists 17 wildlife sanctuaries as of October 2026. The oldest are Mudumalai (1940) and Mundanthurai (1962), and the newest on the list are Cauvery South and Kadavur Slender Loris (both 2022) and Thanthai Periyar (2024). Sanctuary counts rise as new areas are notified, and older summaries still say 15 or 16, so quote the year with the number.
List of wildlife sanctuaries
| Sanctuary | District | Declared | Key fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mudumalai | Nilgiris | 1940 | Oldest; Theppakadu elephant camp |
| Mundanthurai | Tirunelveli | 1962 | Part of Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve |
| Point Calimere | Nagapattinam | 1967 | Blackbuck and migratory birds; Ramsar site |
| Indira Gandhi (Anamalai) | Anamalai hills, Coimbatore | 1976 | Anamalai Tiger Reserve |
| Kalakad | Tirunelveli | 1976 | Part of Kalakad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve |
| Vallanadu Black Buck | Thoothukudi | 1987 | Small sanctuary for blackbuck |
| Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel | Virudhunagar and Madurai | 1988 | Habitat of the grizzled giant squirrel |
| Kanyakumari | Kanniyakumari | 2002 (redeclared 2007) | Western Ghats forest at the southern tip |
| Sathyamangalam | Erode and Dharmapuri | 2008 | Largest sanctuary in the state (about 1,411 sq km) |
| Megamalai | Theni and Madurai | 2009 | High Wavy Mountains |
| Kodaikanal | Dindigul and Theni | 2013 | Palani hills |
| Gangaikondan Spotted Deer | Tirunelveli | 2013 | Smallest on the list (about 288 hectares) |
| Cauvery North | Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri | 2014 | Elephant movement along the Cauvery |
| Nellai | Tirunelveli | 2015 | Hill forest in the Western Ghats |
| Kadavur Slender Loris | Dindigul and Karur | 2022 | Notified as the first slender loris sanctuary in India |
| Cauvery South | Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri | 2022 | About 686 sq km |
| Thanthai Periyar | Erode | 2024 | Newest on the list |
The districts and years are as shown on the Forest Department's page; Tamil Nadu has also announced a Greater Flamingo sanctuary at Dhanushkodi in 2025, which may not appear on every list yet. Some sanctuaries overlap with national parks and tiger reserves, so check the sanctuary's own notification when a question is about boundaries.
Short notes on most-asked items
- Largest. Sathyamangalam is the largest wildlife sanctuary of Tamil Nadu.
- Smallest. Gangaikondan Spotted Deer Sanctuary in Tirunelveli district, which protects a herd of spotted deer on a few hundred hectares.
- Oldest. Mudumalai, declared in 1940.
- First of its kind. Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary, notified in 2022, is described as the first sanctuary in India for the slender loris.
- Point Calimere. One of the best places in the state to see blackbuck, greater flamingos and other waders. It is also a Ramsar wetland, with its birds covered in bird sanctuaries of Tamil Nadu.
- Squirrel sanctuary. Srivilliputhur Grizzled Squirrel Sanctuary combined with Megamalai to form the fifth tiger reserve in 2021. See tiger reserves of Tamil Nadu.
Sanctuary versus national park
A sanctuary allows certain human activities such as grazing, collection of minor forest produce or movement of local people, under the permission of the Chief Wildlife Warden. A national park does not. Both are notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. See national parks of Tamil Nadu for the five parks.
How to revise
Sort the sanctuaries into four regions: the Nilgiris and Anamalai (Mudumalai, Indira Gandhi), the deep south (Kalakad, Mundanthurai, Kanyakumari, Nellai, Gangaikondan), the central hills (Srivilliputhur, Megamalai, Kodaikanal, Kadavur) and the north-west (Sathyamangalam, Cauvery North and South, Thanthai Periyar). Attach one species to each. The TNPSC geography guide explains the habitats.
Frequently asked questions
How many wildlife sanctuaries are there in Tamil Nadu?
The Forest Department's page lists 17 as of October 2026. The figure grows when new sanctuaries are notified, so check forests.tn.gov.in.
Which is the largest wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu?
Sathyamangalam, in Erode and Dharmapuri districts, at about 1,411 sq km.
Which sanctuary is in Thoothukudi district?
Vallanadu Black Buck Sanctuary, declared in 1987.
Which wildlife sanctuary protects the slender loris?
Kadavur Slender Loris Sanctuary, spread across Dindigul and Karur districts, notified in 2022.
Official sources
- Tamil Nadu Forest Department: wildlife sanctuaries
- Tamil Nadu Tourism
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Lists change with each notification, so confirm the current number and boundaries on the Forest Department website.
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