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”.