List of Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh
Wildlife sanctuaries are the place for nature lovers. The state government can notify any naturally occurring area (except the area that comprises territorial waters or reserve forests) as a wildlife sanctuary if that area has adequate floral, faunal, natural, geomorphological, or zoological significance. The primary purpose of a wildlife sanctuary is to protect, develop, and propagate wildlife and its environment. Wildlife sanctuaries do allow some restricted human activities within them.
Wildlife sanctuaries also provide care to neglected animals whose owners can no longer take care of them. A wildlife sanctuary does not sell or breed animals. The animals in a Wildlife sanctuary stay there for their life till they die of natural causes.
There are 543 wildlife sanctuaries in India covering a total area of 119776.00 km2. This is 3.64% of the entire geographical region of the country. These sanctuaries are established by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) category IV area.
In this article, we will know particularly about wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh and give you a complete list of wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh along with their detailed information.
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Full List of Wildlife Sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh
UP is the largest state of India and boasts immense cultural and religious heritage. Some of the great rivers of the Indian subcontinent (Ganga and Yamuna) lie in UP. UP has diversified geographical features with large forest areas that are home to a vast range of wildlife species. A majority of wildlife sanctuaries in India are located in the state of UP. These wildlife sanctuaries brim with life and are also open to public visits.
List Of Popular Wildlife Sanctuaries In Uttar Pradesh :
Bakhira Bird Sanctuary: Established in 1980, this bird sanctuary in UP is the largest natural low-lying wetland in the nation. The name of this forest reserve comes from a village called Bakhira. The water body acts as a staging and wintering ground for a plethora of migratory waterfowls. The water body also provides a breeding ground for resident birds. This sanctuary witnesses migratory birds from China, Tibet, Siberia, and Europe starting from the month of November till January. So, that is the best time to visit this bird sanctuary in UP.
Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary: This wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh is located around 70 kilometers from the Varanasi city in the Chandrauli district. Tourists flock to this place owing to its scenic waterfalls like Devdar and Rajdari. Its diverse flora includes alluvial savanna forest, dry deciduous scrub, desert thorn forest, and dry tropical riverine forest.
Dudhwa National Park: Situated at the border of India and Nepal, this National park was established in 1977 and covers an area of 1284.3 square kilometers. In the 1980s this park was declared as a forest reserve. You can see a lot of lakes of different sizes inside this forest reserve. It lies in the lowland region (Terai belt) of North India in Kheri and Lakhimpur districts.
Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary was established in 1986 and covers a massive area of 2073 square kilometers along the districts of Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Amroha, Ghaziabad, and Bijnor. This is one of the best wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh where a large part of the area is used for cultivation. You can find different species of wild animals here ranging from swamp deers to birds and Gangetic Dolphins.
Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary: Its establishment year is 1982 and it is located in Sonbhadra and Mirzapur districts. It covers an area of approximately 1342 square kilometers, and the major attractions of this place are Bengal tigers, Indian boars, Indian leopards, sambar deers, and chitals. You can also find four-horned antelopes, wild cats, blue bulls, and other exotic animals here.
Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary occupies a whopping 400.6 square kilometers and lies in the Bahraich district’s Terai region. Established in 1975, Katarniaghat was brought under the Project Tiger’s purview. The ecosystem of this sanctuary consists of a mosaic of teak and sal forests, wetlands, and lush green lands. Many endangered species can be found here, like rhinos, tigers, Gangetic dolphins, hispid hare, swamp deer, Bengal florican, etc.
Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary: This was established in 1972 and lies in the Lakhimpur Kheri district. It occupies an area of 200 square kilometers which is covered entirely in green meadows. The species of animals commonly found here are spotted deers, tigers, pythons, swamp deers, etc.
Lakh Bahosi Bird Sanctuary: This bird sanctuary in UP ranks amongst India’s largest bird sanctuaries. It covers an area of 80 square kilometers and is home to many migratory birds, blue bulls, jackals, mongoose, monkeys, and fishing cats. It is situated around 40 kilometers from Kannauj city and boats of 49 different genres of birds.
Mahavir Swami Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary is set amongst dense forests and situated in the Lalitpur district. It is characterized by lush green landscapes and one can see wild beasts like leopards, Nilgiris, sambars, and wild boars here. It also has a variety of birds and is a delight for bird watchers.
National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary is located near the Chambal river and spreads across Agra and Etawah. One can spot a huge number of gharials, Gangetic Dolphins, and eight turtle species in this riverine sanctuary.
Nawabganj WIldlife Sanctuary: Earlier famous by the name Nawabganj, this sanctuary was renamed Chandra Shekhar Azad Bird Sanctuary in 2015. It is on the Kanpur-Lucknow highway in the Unnao district. In this sanctuary, 250 species of migratory birds (mostly from the Soviet Union) can be seen. One can also enjoy the deer park, boat rides, and watchtowers in this sanctuary.
Okhla Bird Wildlife Sanctuary: This is situated in Noida and covers an area of 4 square kilometers. The point where the river Yamuna leaves Delhi and enters UP is where this park is located. This area was declared as protected in 1990 under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972. Around 30% of the total bird species recorded in the Indian subcontinent (nearly 1200 to 1300) are found in this sanctuary.
Parvati Araga Wildlife Sanctuary: This lies in the Gonda district and is part of the Saryu river. When the river changed its path of flow, it left these lakes which were declared a bird sanctuary on 23rd May 1990. These lakes can sustain resident birds for the whole year and migratory birds (greylag goose, cotton teal, northern pintail, gadwali, mallard, etc.) during winters. The sanctuary is covered with deciduous forests and houses 212 species of angiosperms and three species of pteridophytes.
Patna Wildlife Sanctuary: Also known as Pundhir Bird sanctuary, this is located in the Etawah district and encompasses a freshwater lake. It is one of the smallest sanctuaries and covers only a one-square-kilometer area. In peak winters around 60,000 migratory birds find their place in this sanctuary. Some of the birds found here are lesser flamingo, Northern pintail, rosy pelican, and mallard.
Pilibhit Wildlife Sanctuary: It is situated in the districts of Shahjahanpur and Pilibhit and covers a humongous area of 730.2 square kilometers. It is located at the foot of the Himalayas and is part of India’s ambitious Project Tiger. This reserve has more than 50 tigers, and you can spot other species like swamp deer, barking deer, blackbuck, hog deer, etc.
Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary was founded in 1977 and belongs to Chitrakoot and Banda districts. It is full of green shrubs, and one can also have a view of the Nilgiri from here. Amongst the wild animals, you can see leopards, tigers, sloth bears, etc.
Saman Bird Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary lies in the Manipur district (Western UP) and was established in 1990. It covers an area of 5 square kilometers, and the sanctuary is best suited for bird safari. You can also find animals like jackals, hare, mongooses, etc. here.
Samaspur Wildlife Sanctuary: Established in 1987, Samaspur sanctuary is spread across 780 hectares of land. It is located in the Rae Bareli district and is about 122 kilometers from Lucknow. There are more than 250 species of birds present here that includes local birds like knob-billed duck, lesser whistling duck, vultures, kingfishers, and more.
Sandi Bird Wildlife Sanctuary: This sanctuary was established in 1990 in the Hardoi district to protect aquatic habitats and natural vegetation for locals as well as migratory birds. You can find more than 200 sarus cranes here. Amongst wild animals, there are foxes, mongooses, jackals, nilgai, and porcupines.
Sohagi Barwa Wildlife Sanctuary: Lying in the Maharajganj district, this sanctuary is one of the tiger habitats in UP spread across an area of 428 square kilometers. The sanctuary is divided into twelve grasslands and seven forests. It is popular for sighting tigers and other animals common in this place are cheetal, leopard, beer, Giant squirrel, Monitor Lizard, Indian Python, Nilgai, etc. Gorakhpur city is 56 kilometers from this sanctuary.
Suhelwa Wildlife Sanctuary: This oldest forest in UP was given the status of a Wildlife sanctuary in 1998. It is spread across Gonda, Balrampur, and Shravasti districts and covers an area of 120 kilometers in length and 8 kilometers in width. Common sightseeing here includes Indian leopard, Bengal tiger, sloth bear, deer, etc.
Sur Sarovar Bird Sanctuary: This was originally a human-made reservoir that supplied water to Agra during summers. It is in the Agra district and is also called Keerthan lake. It is spread across an area of 7.97 square kilometers and hosts 165 species of endemic as well as migratory birds.
Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary: It is also called Surha Tal Bird Sanctuary and was created by consolidating forty-five villages in the Ballia town area. There are around 10,0000 birds here.
Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary: Turtle or Kachhua sanctuary lies in Varanasi district. The first phase of GAP (Ganga Action Plan) declared this as a sanctuary in 1989. The main creatures in this sanctuary are soft-shelled turtles which are carnivorous and hard-shelled turtles which are herbivores.
Vijai Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary: This is in Mahoba district and was established in 1990. It covers an area of 262 hectares and is home to more than 200 species of local as well as migratory birds.
The article has covered the entire list of wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh and other brief details like their establishment date, spread in total areas and birds seen in these sanctuaries.
FAQs on Presenting An Exhaustive List of Wildlife Sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh
1) Why are Wildlife Sanctuaries important?
There are many endangered species of exotic animals that are threatened in the wild and get protection in Wildlife sanctuaries. It is not easy to relocate an animal from their natural habitat all the time and it is advantageous to protect them in their own natural environment which is the purpose of wildlife sanctuaries. Those species that are endangered are monitored especially in these sanctuaries.
2) What is the spiritual significance of Sur Sarovar Wildlife Sanctuary?
The Sur Sarovar sanctuary is deemed to be that sacred point where Lord Krishna and his beloved Radha used to meet during the Dwapara Yuga. The bird sanctuary is named after reverend poet Surdas who was a close friend of Lord Krishna. It is said that this sanctuary was the place that inspired Surdas to write Bhakti Kavya, his compilation of poems.
3) Are human activities allowed within a Wildlife Sanctuary?
Human activities allowed inside a wildlife sanctuary are very limited. Hunting of animals is strictly prohibited, and the trees can not be cut down for any purpose. Wildlife sanctuaries do not have a very clearly marked boundary for restricting humans from entering them. People can come and roam around a sanctuary for research, recreational, or educational purposes.
