Which is the Biggest Wildlife Sanctuary in the World?

The biggest wildlife sanctuary in the world is the Selous Game Reserve in southeast Tanzania . It is roughly the size of Wales, the entire country of Austria, and two-thirds the size of Maine. It is home to the fabled African elephant, hippopotamus, wild dogs, hyenas, impalas, leopards, buffalos, and many other species of animals. Some of the species in the game reserve are endangered, and thus the Selous is under protection by the government and by international organizations like the WCS and the IUCN.

Which is the Oldest National Park in the World?

The oldest national park in the world is Yellowstone National Park . When it was officially designated as a National Park in 1872, it became the first National Park in the United States. It was also the First National Park in the World ; the second oldest is Mackenzie Delta National Park, which was created in 1974. In total, 59 countries have national parks, including Brazil and Mexico. The United States has 59 National Parks (in total), including the newest in 2016, the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary!

Which Country has the Largest Biosphere Reserve?

The largest biosphere reserve in the world is the Tropical Andes Biosphere Reserve. It’s located in the Andes Mountain range in South America . With its location, it’s a sunny and warm place to live with plenty of rain. This reserve is home to various animal species, such as toucans, armadillos, jaguars, and various plants and trees.

Which is the Largest National Park in India?

The Jim Corbett National Park. Situated in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, the park was established in 1936 to protect the Bengal tigers. Through the years, the park has been maintained to protect tigers and other animals. This national park of India also protects the habitats of other animals, birds, reptiles, and insects.

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Difference Between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National Park

Q: How many National Park Wildlife Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserves in India?

Currently, there are 104 national parks, 551 Wildlife Sanctuaries, and 18 Biosphere Reserves in India , such as Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Hemis National Park and Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

By BYJU'S Exam Prep

Updated on: November 14th, 2023

The difference between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks is in terms of boundaries, restrictions, tourism and species. India has three kinds of wildlife reserves to protect the ecosystem, biodiversity, and species. They are National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserve. A wildlife sanctuary is an area set aside to protect animals and plants that are threatened or endangered.

Difference Between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National Parks PDF

On the other hand, a national park is a reserved area meant to preserve its natural vegetation, wildlife and beauty. A biosphere reserve is a multipurpose protected area that may not have any of those elements or resources. Still, it is chosen for its biological diversity and its proper management of it. This post will highlight the most important difference between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks.

Table of content

1. Difference Between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks
2. Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks
3. Wildlife Sanctuary
4. Biosphere Reserve
5. National Park
6. Key difference between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks

Difference Between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks

These three parks provide a safe haven for wildlife and natural habitats. Each of these parks is unique and provides refuge to its own ecosystems, native animals, and plants. Wildlife sanctuaries are smaller than national parks and are privately owned.

One prominent difference between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks is that a wildlife sanctuary is particularly established to safeguard animals.
In contrast, a national park is created to shield plants and animals.

National Park vs Wildlife Sanctuary vs Biosphere Reserve

Difference Between National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserve
Wildlife Sanctuary	National Park	Biosphere Reserve
Species Oriented	Natural Habitat for Wild Animals	Eco-system Oriented
Boundaries are not fixed	Fixed boundaries according to legislation	Fixed boundaries according to legislation.
The average size is 100-500 sq km	Size range is 0.61 to 7818 sq km.	The size range is over 5670 sq km.
Tourism destination	Tourism destination	Tourism not allowed
Except the buffer zone, no interference	Limited interference.	Except the buffer zone, no biotic interference.
Fewer Regulations	High Restrictions	Moderately Restricted

Difference Between Wildlife Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserve

One difference between Wildlife Sanctuary and Biosphere Reserve is that the government or private entities can own a wildlife sanctuary. However, biosphere reserves are only government-owned.

Difference Between Biosphere Reserve and Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife Sanctuary	Biosphere Reserve
Wildlife sanctuaries are the areas where wild animals are shielded in their natural habitats, wherein hunting is banned.	Biosphere reserves are used to conserve biodiversity comprising multiple wildlife sanctuaries and national parks.
Tourism is permitted in these areas.	No tourism is permitted on these sites.
Example – Chinnar Wildlife sanctuary in Kerala	Example – Pachmarhi biosphere reserve

Difference Between Biosphere Reserve and National Park

Biosphere reserves and National parks differ in the manner that in national parks, little human activities are allowed. Restrictions are partial, whereas no human activity is permitted in a biosphere reserve.

Difference Between National Park and Biosphere Reserve
Biosphere Reserve	National Park
These are notified areas which cover a bigger area of land.	These are reserve areas of land, held by the government.
Sites are indicated for the preservation of the biodiversity of a distinct area.	The zone is shielded from mechanisation, human exploitation, and pollution.
It is internationally recognized within the framework of UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) programme.	It came under the category called “Protected Areas” and was reported under Wildlife (Protection) Act, of 1972.

Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks

Go through the basic definitions and examples of all three reserves to be able to differentiate between wildlife sanctuary and national park and biosphere reserve. Multiple National Parks, Sanctuaries, and Reserves may be included in Biosphere Reserves.

One of the best examples is the Nilgiri Biosphere, which is often a contiguous area, including Bandipur National Park, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, Silent Valley National Park, Nagarhole National Park, and Mukurthi National Park.

Wildlife Sanctuary

A wildlife sanctuary is an area, usually a part of a large park, mainly dedicated to protecting a certain type of animal in the region. It is off-limits to the general public, usually with large warnings of “no trespassing” to protect the animals from people who may try to hurt them.

In a wildlife sanctuary, visitors are allowed to go close to the animals without any threat of being attacked by them.
Wildlife sanctuaries can be a great place to go on vacation, see animals in their natural habitat, and interact with them.
Some Wildlife Sanctuaries are also rehabilitation centres.
In this case, injured animals are brought here for medical treatment, and once they can be re-released into the wild, they are taken to a designated area and let go.

Biosphere Reserve

A biosphere reserve is an area of land mostly untouched by humans. It’s meant to be a place to learn about wildlife and nature before humans start to develop it.

For example, we can see how animals native to the area adapt to the environment with their behaviour, diet, and appearance of their body parts.
We can learn about the habitats of plants and animals.
Biosphere Reserves are a way to preserve and keep a safe haven for animals that need a safe place to live.

National Park

A National Park is a large area of land and water set aside for recreation and nature. They are preserved and protected for future generations and are major tourist attractions.

There are many types of National Parks, from forests to the ocean, with various wildlife, ecosystems, and history.
All Major National Parks can be found all over the world.

Conclusion:

Key difference between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks

The key difference between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National parks is that Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks provide beautiful habitats for many plants and animals; Biosphere reserves are located in regions worldwide where both natural and cultural heritage are protected. These locations are also home to unique and rare species of animals and plants.

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FAQs on Difference Between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National Park

The main difference between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National Parks is that national parks aim to protect the habitat of various species.

In contrast, wildlife sanctuaries are built to protect species of flora and fauna.
The biosphere reserve is a bigger reserve to safeguard the entire ecosystem.

Currently, there are 104 national parks, 551 Wildlife Sanctuaries, and 18 Biosphere Reserves in India, such as Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, Hemis National Park and Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

The major difference between Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserves and National Parks based on the purpose is to promote and safeguard the environment, biodiversity and the specialized flora and fauna that are included by protecting their habitats.

The biggest wildlife sanctuary in the world is the Selous Game Reserve in southeast Tanzania. It is roughly the size of Wales, the entire country of Austria, and two-thirds the size of Maine.

It is home to the fabled African elephant, hippopotamus, wild dogs, hyenas, impalas, leopards, buffalos, and many other species of animals.
Some of the species in the game reserve are endangered, and thus the Selous is under protection by the government and by international organizations like the WCS and the IUCN.

The oldest national park in the world is Yellowstone National Park. When it was officially designated as a National Park in 1872, it became the first National Park in the United States.

It was also the First National Park in the World; the second oldest is Mackenzie Delta National Park, which was created in 1974.
In total, 59 countries have national parks, including Brazil and Mexico.
The United States has 59 National Parks (in total), including the newest in 2016, the National Park Service’s 100th anniversary!

The largest biosphere reserve in the world is the Tropical Andes Biosphere Reserve. It’s located in the Andes Mountain range in South America.

With its location, it’s a sunny and warm place to live with plenty of rain.
This reserve is home to various animal species, such as toucans, armadillos, jaguars, and various plants and trees.

The Jim Corbett National Park. Situated in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand, the park was established in 1936 to protect the Bengal tigers.

Through the years, the park has been maintained to protect tigers and other animals.
This national park of India also protects the habitats of other animals, birds, reptiles, and insects.