India’s incredible wildlife narrative has long been dominated by its charismatic megafauna, especially the tiger. From the dry deciduous forests of Ranthambhore to the Sal-cloaked jungles of Kanha and Corbett, these celebrated tiger reserves draw the attention of tourists, filmmakers, and photographers from around the world. Add to that the cultural magnetism of monuments like the Taj Mahal or the ruins of Hampi, and it’s easy to see why some sanctuaries quietly fade into the background.
Yet beyond these star attractions lies a quieter, equally vital wilderness, one that doesn’t roar as loudly but shelters life just as wild.
Scattered across the country are lesser-known wildlife sanctuaries that remain hidden in the shadows of their more famous neighbours. These sanctuaries like Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary near Hampi, National Chambal Sanctuary near Agra, or Phen Wildlife Sanctuary, nestled on the fringes of the iconic Kanha Tiger Reserve are often bypassed by travelers rushing toward tiger sightings or architectural wonders. But within their forests, wetlands, grasslands, and rocky outcrops, thrive rare and endangered species, unique ecosystems, and stories waiting to be discovered.
This blog is a tribute to India’s unsung wild spaces — sanctuaries that may lack celebrity status but are no less important in the country’s conservation fabric. Whether they protect the only apes in India, the last gharials in our rivers, or corridors for species on the move, these places remind us that the wild isn’t only where the spotlight shines it’s also in the quiet corners we often overlook.
Nagzira Wildlife Sanctuary
Overshadowed By: Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve
Known For: Lush mixed deciduous forests, peaceful sightings of tiger and leopard
Why It Matters: This small sanctuary is no less enchanting. Spread across a scenic landscape of hills, bamboo groves, and water bodies, Nagzira offers a quieter, more intimate wildlife experience often without the rush of tiger-chasing jeeps.
It is home to a healthy population of leopards, wild dogs, sloth bears, and over 202 species of birds, including Malabar pied hornbills, crested serpent eagles, and paradise flycatchers.
What to Watch For:
- Leopard sightings at twilight
- Indian Gaur in the meadows
- Lesser adjutant storks and racket-tailed drongos
- Dense bamboo thickets and seasonal wetlands alive with herpetofauna
Phen Wildlife Sanctuary
Overshadowed By: Kanha Tiger Reserve
Known For: Grassland-meadow mosaics and less crowded safaris
Why It Matters: Situated near the famous Kanha Tiger Reserve, Phen Wildlife Sanctuary is a satellite core of the tiger reserve.
Covering just over 110 square kilometres, Phen is a small sanctuary with a mosaic of grasslands, sal forests, bamboo groves, and riverine forests. Sloth bears, Indian gaur, spotted deer, giant squirrel and over 150 species of birds which include crested hawk-eagles, green bee-eaters, and racket-tailed drongos.
What to Watch For:
- Peaceful walking trails and forest watchtowers
- Indian giant squirrel, only found here not in Kanha.
- Lesser-known birds like the Indian pitta and grey-headed fish eagle
- Waterfalls and small waterbodies
Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary
Overshadowed By: Corbett Tiger Reserve
Known For: Elephant corridors, rich birdlife, and peaceful forest stays
Why It Matters: Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary, a lesser known but ecologically vital part of the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The sanctuary spread across lush Sal and mixed forests, Sonanadi (meaning “river of gold”) offers a more raw and unhurried forest experience. It’s a crucial corridor for elephants and tigers, linking Corbett with the western forest divisions of Uttarakhand.
What sets Sonanadi apart is its network of Forest Rest Houses (FRHs) located deep inside the forest.
What to Watch For:
- Herds of wild elephants in summer
- Barking deer, yellow-throated martens, and giant squirrels
- Great hornbills, black-crested bulbuls, and chestnut-headed bee-eaters
- A rare chance to stay inside a tiger landscape in complete solitude
Kishanpur & Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuaries
Overshadowed By: Dudhwa Tiger Reserve
Known For: Riverine habitats, swamp deer, gharials, and other rare species
Why It Matters: When people think of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, they often think only of Dudhwa National Park. But the Dudhwa landscape is a trinity — and its two lesser-visited parts, Kishanpur and Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuaries, are jewels, each with unique ecosystems and remarkable species.
Kishanpur, the oldest of the three, lies about 30 km from Dudhwa and offers vast grasslands and sal forests with significantly better chances of tiger and barasingha sightings, often with far fewer tourists around. It also supports thriving populations of hog deer, leopard, and a rich diversity of birds and butterflies.
Katerniaghat, on the other hand, lies further east near the Nepal border, where the Girwa River and dense Terai forests converge to create one of the most ecologically diverse pockets in the Gangetic plains. This is where the rare and endangered gharial, Gangetic dolphin can still be found.
What to Watch For:
- Kishanpur: Barasingha, tigers, and great hornbills in a quiet setting
- Katerniaghat: Gharials basking on sandbanks, dolphin surfacing in still waters.
- Rare species like hispid hare and Bengal florican
- Boat safaris and elephant grass trails with barely any crowd
Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary
Overshadowed By: Kaziranga National Park
Known For: Its primate diversity including the Hoolock Gibbon
Why It Matters: Most wildlife tourism in Assam centers around Kaziranga, known for its rhinos, elephants, and tigers. But a few hours away, surrounded by the tea gardens of Upper Assam, lies a sanctuary that protects seven species of primates including hoolock Gibbon, India’s only ape.
Gibbon Wildlife Sanctuary, also known as Hollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary, is a small fragment of Assamese lowland evergreen and moist forest, surrounded by tea estates and villages. The sanctuary is only 21 sq. km, but it is rich in biodiversity. Hoolock Gibbons are the stars of this forest, their morning calls echoing through the dense foliage like jungle music.
The sanctuary is home to seven primate species, one of the highest in any single Indian forest including capped langurs, stump-tailed macaques, and the elusive pig-tailed macaque. The ground is alive with butterflies, frogs, and snakes, while the trees host hornbills, trogons, and dazzling sunbirds.
What to Watch For:
- Hoolock gibbons swinging freely in the canopy
- Troops of stump-tailed macaques on a lucky day
- Oriental pied and great hornbills
- A walking-only experience, no jeeps, just forest trail
Bori & Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuaries
Overshadowed By: Satpura Tiger Reserve
Known For: lesser tourism, and exceptional biodiversity
Why It Matters: A trip to Satpura Tiger Reserve, often ends in Madhai but the reserve itself is composed of three distinct protected areas: Satpura National Park, and the lesser-known Bori and Pachmarhi Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Bori is one of India’s oldest protected forests notified in 1865 and part of the original tiger conservation experiments long before Project Tiger. It features teak and mixed dry deciduous forests, its remoteness keeps it quiet, wild, and largely unexplored.
Pachmarhi, on the other hand, is a striking mix of high-altitude plateaus, sandstone cliffs, and shola-like evergreen pockets. It surrounds the scenic Pachmarhi hill station, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve known for rare orchids, sacred groves, and unique fauna like the Indian giant squirrel, Malabar whistling thrush, and even flying squirrels.
What to Watch For:
- Indian giant squirrels leaping across trees in Pachmarhi
- Rare reptiles, butterflies, and flowering plants along shaded trails
- Serene forest drives through Bori with chances of spotting gaur, wild dogs, or even a tiger
- Rock shelters, waterfalls, and sacred groves with ancient tribal connections
National Chambal Sanctuary
Overshadowed By: The Taj Mahal and Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve
Known For: Gharials, Gangetic dolphins, birds and turtles
Why It Matters: Just a two-hour drive from the Taj Mahal lies a sanctuary that feels like an entirely different planet. National Chambal Sanctuary, spread along the crystal-clear waters of the Chambal River, is one of India’s last strongholds for rare and endangered species.
Here, amidst ravines and quiet sandbanks, the critically endangered gharial basks in the sun, and the Gangetic River dolphin surfaces silently in the deep pools. The sanctuary also harbours a robust population of mugger crocodiles, smooth-coated otters, Indian skimmers, black-bellied terns, and sarus cranes making it a paradise for birders and herpetologists alike.
Despite this extraordinary diversity, Chambal rarely gets the attention it deserves. It sits between two giants Ranthambhore, the land of tiger fame, and Agra, India’s most visited cultural destination. In this crowded tourist triangle, Chambal remains peacefully wild, uncrowded, and raw.
What to Watch For:
- Dozens of gharials lined up like prehistoric statues
- The sudden flick of a dolphin’s dorsal fin in tranquil waters
- Indian skimmers skimming just above the river surface
- Serene boat safaris with minimal intrusion
Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary
Overshadowed By: Panna Tiger Reserve and Khajuraho Temples
Known For: leopard sightings and low tourism footprint
Why It Matters: In the shadow of Khajuraho’s UNESCO-listed temples and the now-revived Panna Tiger Reserve, Gangau Wildlife Sanctuary often doesn’t make it to the tourist map. But for those who do venture in, it offers a rugged, soulful landscape that blends geology, biodiversity, and a sense of wilderness rarely found in more commercial reserves.
Despite being on the edge of a popular tiger reserve and near one of India’s most famous temple towns, Gangau receives little footfall, which keeps its wilderness undisturbed and perfect for slow, reflective exploration.
What to Watch For:
- Leopards navigating steep, stony trails
- Vultures roosting and nesting on cliff faces
- Riverine pools with mugger crocodiles and kingfishers
- Rock shelters, fossils, and the whispers of deep time
Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary
Overshadowed By: Hampi (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Known For: India’s first Sloth Bear sanctuary and rocky scrub forests
Why It Matters: Millions of visitors visit the stone ruins of Hampi, captivated by its temple architecture and boulder-strewn landscapes. Few realise that just 15 km away lies a wildlife sanctuary carved out of the same ancient granite terrain that protects one of India’s most misunderstood mammals: the Sloth Bear.
Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, declared in 1994, is the first protected area in India dedicated solely to the conservation of the sloth bear. These shaggy, insect-loving bears are typically shy and nocturnal, making sightings rare elsewhere. But here, among the hillocks and caves of Daroji, daytime sightings are common.
The sanctuary is also rich in birds, butterflies, and reptiles, and its unique granite scrubland ecosystem offers a stark, striking contrast to the forested reserves most wildlife tourists are used to. Its close proximity to Hampi offers a rare opportunity to blend natural and cultural heritage in one journey.
What to Watch For:
- Sloth bears climbing rocky slopes or feeding at dusk
- Painted spurfowl, sirkeer malkoha, and yellow-throated bulbuls
- Peacocks, mongoose, and monitor lizards sunning on boulders
- Traditional bear dens hidden in the rocks, used for generations.
Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary
Overshadowed By: Bandipur & Nagarhole Tiger Reserves
Known For: Elephant herds, rainforest patches, and connectivity across the Nilgiri Biosphere
Why It Matters: Tucked in Kerala’s northern hills, Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary is part of the famed Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, which includes celebrated names like Bandipur, Nagarhole, and Mudumalai. While those tiger reserves draw many visitors with their iconic status and better safari infrastructure, Wayanad, though ecologically just as significant, remains far less explored.
What sets Wayanad apart is its moist deciduous and semi-evergreen forests, which create a transitional habitat between the lush Western Ghats and drier Deccan plateaus. This makes it an exceptional zone for biodiversity. It is especially famous for its massive elephant populations, frequent tiger and leopard movements, and a rich variety of birds, primates, reptiles, and amphibians.
Despite being part of a major conservation complex, Wayanad receives comparatively fewer wildlife tourists, which helps it retain a more authentic, less commercial wilderness feel.
What to Watch For:
- Herds of elephants moving gracefully through bamboo groves
- Malabar parakeets, emerald doves, and forest babblers
- Giant squirrels and sambar deer in quiet clearings
- Primate species like Lion-tailed macaque and Nilgiri langur
Conclusion: Listening to the Quiet Wild
In a country as rich and diverse as India, it’s easy for the quieter sanctuaries to be drowned out by the roar of tigers or the pull of iconic monuments. But beyond the tourism circuits and famous names lies a wilder India — one where sloth bears forage at dusk, gibbons sing to the morning sun, gharials bask on sandbanks, and vultures glide silently over forgotten gorges.
These sanctuaries may not have the spotlight, but they hold the threads that keep India’s ecological fabric intact. They offer refuge to rare species, shelter ancient landscapes, and form lifelines between better-known reserves. Just because they’re less visited doesn’t mean they’re less valuable — in fact, their obscurity is often their strength.