Wildlife Sanctuaries & National Parks of J&K: List, Districts & MCQs (JKSSB)

Wildlife and protected-area questions are a steady part of JKSSB General Awareness for J&K. They are mostly 'where is X?' and 'what is X known for?', so a district-wise list works best.

National parks in the UT of J&K

• Dachigam National Park (near Srinagar): home of the Hangul (Kashmir stag)
• Kishtwar High Altitude National Park (Kishtwar): high-altitude wildlife in the Chenab valley
• Kazinag National Park (Baramulla): known for the markhor
• Salim Ali National Park (Srinagar): a city forest park

Wildlife sanctuaries and reserves

• Overa-Aru Wildlife Sanctuary (Anantnag): established in 1981, in the Hangul's range
• Jasrota Wildlife Sanctuary (Kathua): in the Shivalik foothills
• Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary (Jammu): known for pheasants
• Lachipora Wildlife Sanctuary (Baramulla)
• Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary (Shopian)
• Thajwas (Baltal) Wildlife Sanctuary (Ganderbal): established in 1987, on the way to Amarnath

Wetlands and Ramsar sites

• Wular Lake (Bandipora): Ramsar site since 23 March 1990
• Hokersar (Srinagar): the 'Queen of Wetlands in Kashmir'
• Surinsar-Mansar lakes (Jammu region)
• Hygam (Baramulla) and Shallabugh: added in 2022
• Gharana Wetland Reserve (R.S. Pura, Jammu): important for migratory birds

Protected area categories

• National park: the highest level of protection, with no grazing, farming or other human use inside the boundary
• Wildlife sanctuary: protected for wildlife, but some human activity may be allowed with permission
• Conservation reserve and community reserve: protected areas on government or community land
• Biosphere reserve: a larger area that combines a protected core with a buffer zone
• Ramsar site: a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention of 1971

Key laws and projects

The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 is the main law, and it set up the categories of protected areas. Project Hangul was started in 1970 to save the Kashmir stag. Project Snow Leopard was launched in 2009 to protect the snow leopard and its habitat in the high Himalaya. Wildlife Week is observed from 1 to 7 October every year.

Animals to know

• Hangul (Kashmir stag): a critically endangered deer, found mainly in Dachigam National Park
• Markhor: a wild goat with spiral horns, found in the Pir Panjal range, and associated with Kazinag National Park
• Snow leopard: found in the high mountains of Ladakh, including Hemis National Park
• Himalayan black bear and brown bear: found in forests and alpine pastures
• Musk deer: a small deer found in high forests, hunted for the musk pod
• Himalayan monal and koklass pheasant: colourful birds of the temperate forests

Wetlands and birds

Wular Lake, Hokersar and Surinsar-Mansar are well-known wetlands. Many of them are stops for migratory birds that travel from Central Asia and Siberia in winter. Hokersar is a favourite for ducks, geese and herons, and it is called the Queen of Wetlands in Kashmir. Hokersar lies near Srinagar and Wular in the Bandipora district.

Common traps

• Hemis National Park is in Ladakh, not in the Union Territory of J&K
• Dachigam is near Srinagar, while Kishtwar National Park is in the Chenab valley
• Jasrota is in Kathua, in the Jammu region, and is not in the Valley
• A sanctuary and a national park are not the same, so read the question

How to revise

Make a table of the park or sanctuary, its district and its famous animal. Recite the table aloud, and add one detail each day, such as the year of notification or the Ramsar status.

Related reading

Rivers and lakes of J&K, districts of J&K and tourist destinations.

Where this fits in the JKSSB paper

J&K General Knowledge carries 20 marks in Junior Assistant, 30 in Finance Accounts Assistant and Panchayat Account Assistant, and 40 in Class-IV and Sub-Inspector (General Awareness). See which subjects to study first and the exam patterns compared.