Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary

Thanthai Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary is a proposed protected area located along the area straddling both the Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats in the Erode District of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It was notified by Government of Tamil Nadu in March 2023 and will become the 18th wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu. It will cover a forest area of 801.15 km2 and will cover parts of Gobichettipalayam and Anthiyur taluks in Erode district in Western Tamil Nadu.

This sanctuary links Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve with Cauvery South Wildlife Sanctuary thus providing the safe movement of elephants and tigers. It is also connected to Kollegal forests in Karnataka and Nilgiris, where Eastern Ghats merge with Western Ghats.

History
The creation of the sanctuary was announced by finance Minister Palanivel Thiagarajan in the 2023 Tamil Nadu State budget. In January 30, 2024 the sanctuary was notified by the state government covering 80,114.80 hectares. While the overall reserve forest area in the hill region spans 80,567.76 hectares, exclusions were made for six tribal habitations, encompassing 342.12 hectares, and roads, covering 110.84 hectares. Consequently, a total of 80,114.80 hectares were designated as a sanctuary.