Protected Areas in Uttar Pradesh

Protected Areas, also known as conservation areas, are areas which receive special protection due to their natural or ecological importance. The areas featuring under this list generally include wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, bird sanctuaries and natural reserves. They are essential for the ever-decreasing biodiversity.


The state of Uttar Pradesh encompasses innumerable such protected areas which are a home to various endangered species of flora and fauna. Let’s look at these areas in detail:

Dudhwa National Park

Spreading across a sprawling area of 490 square kilometers, the Dudhwa National park is located near the Indo- Nepal Border. The National Park contains the splendid and the sacred river Suheli at its Southern end.

Dudhwa used to be a Tiger Reserve but in 1977 it acquired the status of a National Park. Get ready to be mesmerized by the amazing collection of fauna at Dudhwa. The major wildlife you will find in Dudhwa includes sambhar, cheetals, hog deers, swamp deer and the mighty rhinoceros.

The Dudhwa National park also contains the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary which is again a very important protected area of UP.

Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary

Be ready to get fascinated by the outstanding collection of biodiversity at the Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary. It is situated in the Banda District of Uttar Pradesh. One of the major attractions of the district, the wildlife found in the sanctuary is leopards, tigers, sloth bear, jungle fowl, spur fowl, chinkara and pea fowl.

Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary

Spanning over an area of 28.94 square kilometers, Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary was founded in 1990. Located in Santkabir Nagar district of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, it is the largest natural flood plain wetland. Situated 44 kilometers west from Gorakhpur city, this sanctuary was established in the year 1980.

A magnificent site, this lake provides a wintering and staging ground for a large number of migratory waterfowls and mating ground for local birds.

Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary

Located in the Eastern region of Uttar Pradesh, Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary is endowed with gorgeous picnic spots and plush green forests. Established in 1957, the wildlife found in the sanctuary includes black bucks, wild board, cheetah, nilgai, python, porcupine and sambhar.

Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary

Encompassing dense forests, Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary spans across an area of 2073 kilometers. It was established in 1986. The wildlife hosted by the sanctuary includes antelopes, cheetah, hyena, leopard, blue bull and wild cat.

Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary

Diffusing across 500 kilometers, the Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary is situated right at the place demarcating Uttar Pradesh from Bihar. Established in 1982, this sanctuary boasts a rich collection of different variety of trees like saal, sheesham teak, mahua, salai, jamun, koraiya and sidha.

Lake Bahosi Sanctuary

It is one of India’s largest bird sanctuaries. Hosting species of 49 genera, this sanctuary is a home to various migratory birds. Blue bulls, jackals, mongoose, monkeys and fishing cat may also be seen here.

Mahavir Swami Wildlife Sanctuary

Spreading over an area of 5.4 square kilometers, this sanctuary is just 125 kilometers from Jhansi. The residents of the sanctuary include leopards, sambhar, black buck, nilgai , langur, bear and monkeys.

National Chambal Sanctuary

Also known as National Chambal Gharial Sanctuary, this sanctuary spans an area of 5400 square kilometers. It houses the critically endangered species of red – crowned roof turtle, the small crocodiles (gharial) and the dolphins.

Nawabganj Sanctuary

Located in Unnao district in Uttar Pradesh, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary is one of the many wetlands of Northern India. Sheltering over 250 species of migratory birds (mostly from CIS countries), other attractions of this place include a splendid lake and a deer park.

Okhla Bird Sanctuary

Okhla bird sanctuary is located at Okhla barrage over Yamuna River. Bird species such as grasslands, wetland and thorny scrub are seen in the sanctuary. It spans across an area of 4 square kilometres.

Patna Bird Sanctuary

Patna Vihar Bird Sanctuary is located in Jalesar sub division of Etah district in Uttar Pradesh. This is a protected sanctuary which was founded in 1991 and it covers an area of 108 hectares. Herons, Pied Mynas, ducks and cormorants can be seen here.

Saman Sanctuary

Saman Sanctuary is located in Mainpuri district, in Western Uttar Pradesh. Established in 1990 the sanctuary is spread over an area of 5 kilometres square. This place is a home for various birds and is very well known for its exotic ‘Bird Safaries’.

Samaspur Bird Sanctuary

Samaspur Sanctuary is situated near Salon in Rae Bareli district. Established in 1987, it is diffused over 780 hectares. It is a home of over of over 250 varieties of birds, which includes local birds such as spoon bill, spot bill, vultures, comb duck and kingfishers and migratory birds such as surkhab, pin tail, common teel and showler.

Sohagi Barwa Sanctuary

One of the finest Tiger Reserves in Uttar Pradesh, the Sohagi Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in the Maharaganj District in Uttar Pradesh. Although majestic tigers are the main attraction of the place, but it also houses other fauna like leopards, wild cat, cheetals, bear and python.

Vijai Sagar Sanctuary

Founded in 1990, Vijai Sagar Sanctuary is located in the Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh. The main attractions of the sanctuary are beautiful jackals, wildcats and mongoose.

Kachhua Sanctuary (Turtle Sanctuary)

Located in the sacred city Varanasi, this sanctuary houses the rarest of the rare species of tortoises like Sundari kachhua, Pechari, Kachhua Tonguka etc. It also houses Gangetic dolphins and other water animals.

Sandi Bird Sanctuary

Established in 1990, it is bird sanctuary situated in the Hardoi district of UP. It was created to protect the local flora and fauna, especially the local migratory birds. It is well known by its ancient name “Dhara Jheel”.