10 Best Wildlife Sanctuaries In Uttar Pradesh, India

wildlife sanctuaries in uttar pradesh
Sumit
Sumit 
Updated
| 4 min read

If someone wants to be close to nature then, wildlife sanctuaries are the best place to be in. One can always expect something adventurous that is definitely going to come. The place is full of mystery and somewhere incredible is always waiting to be known. India has been blessed in terms of natural resources - plenty of floras and faunas. However, the rampant killing of the different species of wild animals and massive urbanization made the government take stern actions against the poachers and declare some of the areas as protected. One such area is a wildlife sanctuary. Uttar Pradesh, one of the states of India, holds the glory of having the majority wildlife sanctuaries. All of these brim with life and are open to the public for a visit. Provisions are also made for the tourists keeping in mind their safety. Check out the best wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh.

1. Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary

wildlife sanctuaries in uttar pradesh | lakh bahosi sanctuary
Source: instagram

If you are a bird watcher and lover, then perhaps this is going to be the perfect place for you. Located approximately 40 km (24.8 miles) from the city Kannauj, Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary is spread across two lakes near the two villages from where it derives its name - Lakh and Bahosi. One can see 49 different genera of birds. It is an initiative of the state government towards promoting UP Ecotourism apart from protecting the species. It is the best place to spot some of the migratory birds during the month of December to February.

Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary

Address: Near Lakhbasohi village, Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh 209723

Website: Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary

Opening hours: 10am - 4pm (daily)

Visited this place?

2. Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary

Wildlife At Hastinapur
Source: Photo by user AK Gandhi used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Established in 1986 and covering a massive area of districts of Muzzafarnagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Amroha, and Bijnor, Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is perhaps one of the best sanctuaries to visit while on a tour to Uttar Pradesh. It derives its name from the ancient city of Hastinapur. This is one of the sanctuaries where a large part of the area is under cultivation. Thanks to its prime location - on the banks of mighty River Ganges that pours in alluvial soil - the sanctuary is full of different species of wild animals. These range from swamp deer to Ganges River Dolphin and birds.

Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary

Address: Hastinapur Kaurwan, Uttar Pradesh 250404

Website: Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary

Visited this place?

3. Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

Bhimtaal Tiger
Source: Photo by user Stephenekka used under CC BY-SA 4.0

Located in the district of Pilibhit and Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit Tiger Reserve covers a massive area of 730.2 square km (453 square miles). Located at the foothills of the Himalayas, this sanctuary is one of the 50 sanctuaries under India’s ambitious Project Tiger. The place has more than 50 tigers. Other species that can be spotted at this sanctuary include five different species of deer among others. They are swamp deer, spotted deer, barking deer, hog deer, and blackbuck.

Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

Address: District Pilibhit, Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh 262122

Website: Pilibhit Tiger Reserve

Opening hours: 7am - 9pm (daily)

Visited this place?

4. Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary

Deer crossing road in katarniaghat wildlife sanctuary
Source: Photo by user Attensky used under CC BY-SA 3.0

Covering a whopping 400.6 square km (248.9 square miles) in the Terai region of Bahraich district, Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary was established in the year 1975 and was brought under the purview of Project Tiger. The wildlife sanctuary also stands important because it provides strategic connectivity to two tiger habitats - Bardia National Park of Nepal with Dudhwa and Kishanpur in India. Apart from the tigers, the sanctuary is a well-known place for several endangered species of wild animals like long-billed vultures, Bengal florican, swamp deer, and gharial. It was in the news as well because a rare species of flying snake was also spotted.

Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary

Address: Nishangarh Border Rd, Dharmpur, Uttar Pradesh 271855

Website: Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary

Visited this place?

5. Chandra Shekhar Azad Bird Sanctuary


Chandra Shekhar Azad Bird Sanctuary, earlier famous as Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, is yet another paradise for bird lovers. Situated in the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, it is one of the several wetlands present in India. Approximately 250 species of migratory birds can be spotted in the month of November to March at this sanctuary. The birds flock up here from different parts of the world - Tibet, Siberia, China, and Europe. The species that can be spotted during the season are mallard, coot, red-crested pochard, pintail, greylag goose apart from the local migratory birds like bronze winged jacana, white-necked stork, painted stork, and sarus crane.

Chandra Shekhar Azad Bird Sanctuary

Address: NH 25, Ravanhar, Uttar Pradesh 209859

Opening hours: 7:30am - 5pm (daily)

Visited this place?

6. Sandi Bird Sanctuary


Sandi Bird Sanctuary is located near river Garra in Uttar Pradesh and you can spot many migratory birds that arrive here in November each year. This bird sanctuary can be reached within three hours from Lucknow, which makes it popular among tourists. The primary aim of this bird sanctuary is to protect not only migratory birds but also local birds and the natural wetlands.

Sandi Bird Sanctuary

Address: Koilaee, Uttar Pradesh 241403

Opening hours: 10am - 4pm (daily)

Visited this place?

7. Sohagi Barwa Sanctuary

wildlife sanctuaries in uttar pradesh | sohagi barwa sanctuary
Source: instagram

This quaint sanctuary in the Maharajganj district of Uttar Pradesh has a serene environment ideal to spot wildlife in their natural habitat. The sanctuary preserves animals like tigers, cheetah, wild boar, leopards and many more. The pleasant weather in Sohagi Barwa Sanctuary attracts tourists throughout the year. However, it can get slightly colder in December and January. The city of Gorakhpur is 56 km (about 35 miles) from this wildlife sanctuary.

Sohagi Barwa Sanctuary

Address: Lohia Nagar, Bismil Nagar, Maharajganj, Uttar Pradesh 273303

Website: Sohagi Barwa Sanctuary

Visited this place?

8. Dudhwa National Park

Dudhwa national lazy tiger
Source: Photo by user DARSHAN SEN used under CC BY-SA 4.0

This wildlife sanctuary is located in the northern part of Uttar Pradesh and covers a vast area of 490.3 kilometers square (305 miles square). Tigers and swamp deers are the main attractions here. However, you can also spot other animals and birds like ratel jackal, jungle cat, leopard, hispid hare, Indian rhinoceros, sambar deer, great salty woodpecker, Bengal florican, swamp francolin and more. Dudhwa National Park is also home to a number of migratory birds during the winter months.

Dudhwa National Park

Address: State Highway 90, near Bikram Ban Farms, Palia Kalan, Uttar Pradesh 262902

Website: Dudhwa National Park

Visited this place?

9. Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary


Founded in 1972, this wildlife sanctuary is located near the town of Mailani in Uttar Pradesh. Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary is 30 km (18.64 miles) from Dudhwa National Park and over four hour’s drive from Lucknow. Spread over 200 km (124 miles) this wildlife sanctuary is home to several animal species such as tigers, pythons, ghariyal, leopards, wild boar, swamp deers and more. Swamp deer, also called barasingha, is one of the most common animals that you may come across here.

Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary

Address: F-1, Uttar Pradesh 262901

Website: Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary

Opening hours: 5am - 5pm

Visited this place?

10. Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary

Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing

Established in the early 1980s, this wildlife sanctuary is located in southeastern Uttar Pradesh. With an area of 1342 kilometers square (833 miles square), Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary in the famed Kaimur hill ranges is the largest wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh. Four-horned antelope, tigers, nilgais, sloth bears, and chitals are some animals found here. Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary also has a number of waterfalls perfect for you to take Instagrammable pics.

Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary

Address: From 3 km of Robertsganj Shahganj village Mahuvaria, Uttar Pradesh

Website: Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary

Opening hours: 6am - 6pm (daily)

Visited this place?

Explore a wildlife sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh has several cities like Agra that are well-known among international travelers. Do you want to escape city life and discover the wild? Uttar Pradesh has several wildlife sanctuaries waiting for you to explore.

Visited this place?
Any must-sees we missed? Tell us about them in the comments section or write a post here to help out fellow travelers!
Disclosure: Trip101 selects the listings in our articles independently. Some of the listings in this article contain affiliate links.

History


Get Trip101 in your inbox

Unsubscribe in one click. See our Privacy Policy for more information on how we use your data

Sumit lived in the UK for 10 years and experienced the hustle and bustle of the urban life. However, the serene Scottish country side is where his heart lies. He is still unable to understand Welsh...Read more

 Want to contribute as a Local Expert?
Explore Uttar Pradesh
x
Good things are meant to be shared!
Back to top
Visited any of these places? Click this button to activate our "Add a Tip" feature to share your experience.