Wildlife Sanctuaries of Rajasthan — REET EVS Notes
This page covers Rajasthan's major wildlife sanctuaries and national parks — their district, their signature animal, and their conservation history. In REET EVS this topic is often tested through matching-style questions: 'which sanctuary is famous for which animal.'
- 1 question in REET 2024
- Class 1–5 level
- 7 min read
How this topic is asked in REET
REET 2024 asked which sanctuary the Grey Jungle Fowl is the flagship wildlife of — the correct answer was Mount Abu (Sirohi), with Sariska (tiger), Tal Chhapar (blackbuck) and Kaila Devi (leopard/bear) offered as plausible-sounding distractors. This makes it clear that REET tests this topic through exact 'sanctuary ↔ signature animal' pairs, not general descriptions.
Major Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks of Rajasthan
| Sanctuary/Park | District | Signature wildlife |
|---|---|---|
| Sariska National Park | Alwar | Tiger, leopard, chital, sambar |
| Ranthambore National Park | Sawai Madhopur | Tiger, leopard, sloth bear |
| Keoladeo Ghana National Park | Bharatpur | Migratory and resident birds; historically famous for the Siberian crane |
| Desert National Park | Jaisalmer-Barmer | Godawan/Great Indian Bustard — the state bird |
| Tal Chhapar Sanctuary | Churu | Blackbuck (Krishna Mriga) |
| Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary | Sirohi | Grey Jungle Fowl, leopard, sloth bear |
| Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary | Rajsamand-Udaipur-Pali | Four-horned antelope (chausingha), leopard, sloth bear |
| Kaila Devi Sanctuary | Karauli-Sawai Madhopur | Leopard, bear, wild boar |
Memorising sanctuary-and-animal pairs is the single most effective REET strategy — especially the animals that are the defining identity of just one sanctuary (Tal Chhapar = blackbuck, Mount Abu = Grey Jungle Fowl).
Other Notable Wildlife Areas
- Sitamata Sanctuary (Pratapgarh-Chittorgarh)
- Famous for the flying squirrel; a teak forest area
- Jaisamand Sanctuary (Udaipur)
- Forest area around Jaisamand Lake, home to chital and sambar
- Darrah National Park (Kota-Jhalawar)
- Formerly a royal hunting ground, now protected for leopard and sambar
- Nahargarh Biological Park (Jaipur)
- A zoo-cum-conservation centre for lions, tigers and other wildlife
Rajasthan's State Animal, Bird and Tree
Rajasthan's state animal (in the wildlife category) is the chinkara, while the camel was separately declared the state's 'state animal/livestock' in 2014 given its declining numbers. The state bird is the Godawan/Great Indian Bustard, a critically endangered species found mainly in the Desert National Park (Jaisalmer-Barmer) area, and the state tree is the khejri (Prosopis cineraria), considered the backbone of the Thar Desert ecosystem.
Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur) is famous primarily as a bird sanctuary and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site — it stands out among Rajasthan's wildlife conservation areas because the focus here is on bird diversity rather than mammals.
Tiger Conservation (Project Tiger) — Sariska and Ranthambore
The Government of India launched 'Project Tiger' in 1973 to conserve tigers. Ranthambore joined the project as early as 1974 and was declared a national park in 1980, while Sariska — declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1958 — got Tiger Reserve status in 1978.
Sariska's history also carries an important lesson — poaching led to the local extinction of all tigers in Sariska by 2005, after which tigers were reintroduced there from Ranthambore. Rajasthan currently also has Mukundra Hills and Ramgarh Vishdhari declared as Tiger Reserves, in addition to Ranthambore and Sariska. Taken as a timeline, tiger conservation in Rajasthan moved from Sariska's 1958 designation as a wildlife sanctuary, through Ranthambore joining Project Tiger in 1974 and becoming a national park in 1980, to Sariska itself gaining Tiger Reserve status in 1978 — and, decades later, to the sobering lesson of 2005, when poaching wiped out every tiger in Sariska before reintroduction from Ranthambore brought the population back.
The Need for Conservation and Ecotourism
Wildlife sanctuaries and national parks are created to give legal protection to a region's wildlife and its natural habitat, with hunting and illegal logging fully prohibited inside them. In a dry state like Rajasthan, this protection matters even more, because with limited water sources and vegetation, the coexistence of wildlife rests on a delicate balance.
These sanctuaries have also become major hubs of ecotourism — Ranthambore's tiger safaris and Keoladeo Ghana's bird safaris draw visitors from India and abroad, generating both local employment and resources for wildlife conservation. Read together, the sanctuary-and-animal pairs on this page form a pattern worth learning as a set: Sariska (Alwar) and Ranthambore (Sawai Madhopur) are both tiger reserves, Keoladeo Ghana (Bharatpur) is known for its migratory and resident birds rather than mammals, Desert National Park (Jaisalmer-Barmer) is home to the state bird, the Godawan, Tal Chhapar (Churu) is known for the blackbuck, Mount Abu (Sirohi) for the Grey Jungle Fowl, Kumbhalgarh (Rajsamand-Udaipur-Pali) for the four-horned antelope or chausingha, and Kaila Devi (Karauli-Sawai Madhopur) for leopard, bear and wild boar. Beyond these headline names, Sitamata (Pratapgarh-Chittorgarh) is known for the flying squirrel, Jaisamand (Udaipur) for chital and sambar around its lake, Darrah (Kota-Jhalawar) — once a royal hunting ground — is now protected for leopard and sambar, and Nahargarh Biological Park in Jaipur works as a zoo-cum-conservation centre for lions, tigers and other wildlife.
How to Teach This to Children
Classroom activity
Have children mark the major sanctuaries on a map of Rajasthan and paste a picture of the associated animal at each spot — this connects map skills with wildlife knowledge in one exercise.
Teaching aids
Use flash cards or short videos of wildlife so children can identify animals like the Godawan, chinkara, tiger and blackbuck.
Common misconception
Children often treat 'sanctuary' and 'national park' as the same thing. Teachers should explain simply that protection rules in a national park are stricter than in a sanctuary.
Assessment idea
Have children make a short list of the animals and birds found near their own area, and discuss why they need to be protected — this makes the idea of conservation practical.
Storytelling method
Tell the story of the local extinction of tigers in Sariska in 2005 and their later reintroduction from Ranthambore — this helps children understand both the consequences of neglecting conservation and that recovery is possible.
Memory trick
Anchor each sanctuary to its 'one special identity' — Sariska = tiger, Tal Chhapar = blackbuck, Mount Abu = Grey Jungle Fowl, Desert National Park = Godawan, Kumbhalgarh WLS = chausingha, Sitamata = flying squirrel. REET often swaps these pairs around to create distractors, so nail each pairing individually and remember the district alongside it.
REET 2024 Questions (Solved)
Question 130
Wild cock is the main wild animal of which Wildlife Sanctuary ?
- Aसरिस्का - अलवर
- Bमाउण्ट आबू - सिरोही
- Cतालछापर - चूरु
- Dकैलादेवी - करौली
Explanation
माउण्ट आबू वन्यजीव अभयारण्य (सिरोही) जंगली मुर्गे (Grey Jungle Fowl) के लिए प्रसिद्ध है। सरिस्का बाघों के लिए, तालछापर काले हिरण (कृष्ण मृग) के लिए और कैलादेवी मुख्यतः बघेरा, भालू आदि के लिए जाने जाते हैं।
Practice Questions
Question 1
What is the state bird of Rajasthan?
- Aमोर
- Bगोडावण (सोन चिरैया)
- Cतोता
- Dबुलबुल
Explanation
The Godawan/Great Indian Bustard is Rajasthan's state bird, found mainly in the Desert National Park area.
Question 2
Which sanctuary is famous for the Blackbuck?
- Aसरिस्का
- Bताल छापर
- Cमाउंट आबू
- Dकैलादेवी
Explanation
Tal Chhapar Sanctuary (Churu) is famous for the blackbuck/Krishna Mriga.
Question 3
In which district is Ranthambore National Park located?
- Aअलवर
- Bसवाई माधोपुर
- Cजैसलमेर
- Dचूरु
Explanation
Ranthambore National Park is located in Sawai Madhopur district and is famous for its tigers.
Question 4
What is Keoladeo Ghana National Park mainly famous for?
- Aबाघ
- Bकाला हिरण
- Cपक्षी
- Dगैंडा
Explanation
Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur) is famous for its diversity of migratory and resident birds, not for mammals.
Question 5
The Chausingha (four-horned antelope) is mainly found in which sanctuary?
- Aकुम्भलगढ़ वन्यजीव अभयारण्य
- Bताल छापर
- Cसरिस्का
- Dकेवलादेव
Explanation
The chausingha (four-horned antelope) is found mainly in Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary.
Question 6
Which animal is Rajasthan's state animal (in the wildlife category)?
- Aबाघ
- Bचिंकारा
- Cनीलगाय
- Dलोमड़ी
Explanation
The chinkara is Rajasthan's state animal (in the wildlife category). Note that the camel was separately given special status as the state's livestock animal in 2014 due to declining numbers, but the wildlife state-animal is the chinkara.
Question 7
In which district is Sariska National Park located?
- Aअलवर
- Bसिरोही
- Cकरौली
- Dउदयपुर
Explanation
Sariska National Park is located in Alwar district and is famous for its tigers.
Question 8
What is the main difference between a 'Wildlife Sanctuary' and a 'National Park'?
- Aदोनों बिल्कुल समान हैं
- Bराष्ट्रीय उद्यान में सुरक्षा-नियम अभयारण्य से अधिक सख्त होते हैं
- Cअभयारण्य केवल पक्षियों के लिए होते हैं
- Dराष्ट्रीय उद्यान में मानव बस्तियाँ अनिवार्य होती हैं
Explanation
A national park has stricter restrictions on human activity than a wildlife sanctuary does, giving wildlife a more secure natural environment.
Question 9
Which is the most suitable activity for teaching Class 3 children the locations of Rajasthan's sanctuaries?
- Aमानचित्र पर अभयारण्यों को चिह्नित कर उनसे जुड़े जीव का चित्र चिपकवाना
- Bकेवल नामों की सूची रटवाना
- Cजटिल वैज्ञानिक नाम याद करवाना
- Dटॉपिक को कक्षा में न पढ़ाना
Explanation
A map-based visual activity (map plus picture) builds a lasting understanding of both location and animal in young children, whereas rote memorisation is quickly forgotten.
Question 10
Which conservation category does the Godawan (Great Indian Bustard) belong to?
- Aसामान्य (Least Concern)
- Bगंभीर रूप से संकटग्रस्त (Critically Endangered)
- Cपूर्णतः विलुप्त (Extinct)
- Dआक्रामक प्रजाति (Invasive)
Explanation
The Godawan is a Critically Endangered species, with its population declining rapidly, which is why it receives special conservation attention.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rajasthan's state bird, and where is it found?+
Rajasthan's state bird is the Godawan/Great Indian Bustard, found mainly in the Desert National Park (Jaisalmer-Barmer) area; it is a critically endangered species.
Which sanctuary is famous for the blackbuck?+
Tal Chhapar Sanctuary (Churu) is famous for the blackbuck (Krishna Mriga).
What is Keoladeo Ghana National Park known for?+
Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur) is famous for migratory and resident birds, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What are Rajasthan's state animal and state tree?+
Rajasthan's state animal is the chinkara, and its state tree is the khejri.
Which district is Ranthambore National Park in?+
Ranthambore National Park is in Sawai Madhopur district and is famous for its tigers.
Why did tigers become extinct in Sariska?+
Poaching led to the local extinction of all tigers in Sariska by 2005; tigers were later reintroduced there from Ranthambore.
How many Tiger Reserves does Rajasthan have in total?+
In addition to Ranthambore and Sariska, Mukundra Hills and Ramgarh Vishdhari have also been declared Tiger Reserves in Rajasthan, taking the state's total to more than four.
What is Sitamata Sanctuary famous for?+
Sitamata Wildlife Sanctuary (the Pratapgarh-Chittorgarh region) is famous for the flying squirrel, and is one of Rajasthan's densest forest areas in the south.
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Change Log
- 17 September 2026 — English page published — mirrors the fact-checked Hindi page, independently bilingual-accuracy checked