List of protected areas of Tamil Nadu
Protected areas of Tamil Nadu cover an area of , constituting 2.54% of the geographic area and 15% of the  recorded forest area of the state of Tamil Nadu in South India. It ranks 14th among all the states and union territories of India in terms of total protected area. Protected areas in South India were created from private hunting grounds of the erstwhile Maharajas of the princely states. Mudumalai National Park was established in 1940 and was the first modern wildlife sanctuary in South India. The protected areas are administered by the Ministry of Environment and Forests of Government of India and the Tamil Nadu Forest Department. Biosphere reserves 
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There are three Biosphere Reserves in Tamil Nadu. National parks 
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Tamil Nadu has five National Parks covering . Wildlife sanctuaries 
Tamil Nadu has 18 wildlife sanctuaries. Elephant reserves 
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There are five declared elephant sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu as per Project Elephant. Tiger reserves 
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Tamil Nadu participates in Project Tiger and has five  declaredtiger reserves. Bird sanctuaries 
There are seventeen declared bird sanctuaries in Tamil Nadu. Zoos, reserves and animal farms
There is one conservation reserve at Tiruvidaimarudur in Thanjavur. There are two zoos recognised by the Central Zoo Authority of India namely Arignar Anna Zoological Park and Madras Crocodile Bank Trust, both located in Chennai. The state has other smaller zoos run by local administrative bodies such as Coimbatore Zoo in Coimbatore, Amirthi Zoological Park in Vellore, Kurumpampatti Wildlife Park in Salem, Yercaud Deer Park in Yercaud, Mukkombu Deer Park in Tiruchirapalli and Ooty Deer Park in Nilgiris. There are five crocodile farms located at Amaravati in Coimbatore district, Hogenakkal in Dharmapuri district, Kurumbapatti in Salem district, Madras Crocodile Bank Trust in Chennai and Sathanur in Tiruvannamalai district. 