National Parks in Uttar Pradesh
There is One National Park, Dudhwa National Park and 25 Wildlife Sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh, India.
Dudhwa National Park, Tiger Reserve
- The Dudhwa National Park is a national park in the Terai belt of marshy grasslands in northern Uttar Pradesh, India.
- It is part of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve in the Kheri and Lakhimpur districts. The park is located on the Indo-Nepali border in the Lakhimpur Kheri District.
- Together with the Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary and the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary it forms the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
- Dudhwa Tiger Reserve = (Dudhwa National Park + Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary + Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.)
- The Sharda River (Kali or Mahakali River) separates Dudhwa National Park from Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary. The Ghaghara River separates Dudhwa National Park from Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Indian rhinoceros (VU) was reintroduced into Dudhwa from Pobitora Sanctuary (Assam).
- The Dudhwa National Park has a number of species of birds, reptiles, wild elephants, aquatic animals, one-horned rhinos, wild elephants besides its enriched flora and fauna. Its undisturbed natural forest cover, vast spans of grasslands and wetlands.
- Major attractions of Dudhwa National Park are the tigers and swamp deer. It is the only place in U.P. where both Tigers and Rhinos can be spotted together.
- Dudhwa National Park is a stronghold of the barasingha. Around half of the world’s barasinghas are present in Dudhwa National Park.
- The white-rumped vulture and red-headed vulture, both Critically Endangered vulture species have been sighted in the park.
- Black-crested bulbul (IUCN: LC) was spotted after several years.
Tiger Reserves in Uttar Pradesh
Amangarh Tiger Reserve (buffer of Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve)
- It forms an extension of and buffer to Jim Corbett National Park.
- After the state of Uttarakhand was carved out of Uttar Pradesh, Jim Corbett went to Uttarakhand and Amangarh remained in Uttar Pradesh.
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
- It lies in the Terai belt (in the Indo-Nepal border).
- The Sharda Sagar Dam is on the east and River Sharda (a tributary of River Ghaghara) is on the northeast.
- Vegetation: Sal forests, tall grasslands and swamps characterized by periodic flooding.
- Major Fauna: Bengal tiger, leopard, swamp deer, hog deer, blackbuck, sambar, rhesus macaque, gharial.
Ranipur Tiger Reserve, Wildlife Sanctuary
- Uttar Pradesh approved the state’s 4th Tiger Reserve in the Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary . It will be the 1st Tiger Reserve in the UP’s Bundelkhand region and the 53th Tiger Reserve in India.
- Flora: tropical dry deciduous forests.
- Fauna: Tigers, leopards, spotted deer, sambhar, chinkara.
- Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary has no tigers of its own, but it is frequented by tigers from the nearby Panna Tiger Reserve. Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary is an important corridor for the movement of tigers.
Wildlife Sanctuaries of Uttar Pradesh
Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is a natural flood plain wetland located in Sant Kabir Nagar district.
- The Rapti River flows through it. It provides a wintering ground for a number of migratory birds.
- It was designated as a Ramsar Site on World Wetlands Day (2 February 2022).
- Bakhira Tal (wetland) is the largest natural wetland of Eastern U.P. It is a perennial wetland, where the source of water is natural rain and the Ami River, a tributary of the Rapti River.
- It is a vast stretch of water body expanding over an area of 29 sq. km.
- Apart from birds, the Sanctuary has a variety of trees, shrubs, hydrophytes. About 40,000 birds belonging to about 30 species have been recorded during winters.
- The landscape and terrain of the wetland is almost flat, representing a typical ‘Terai’ landscape.
- The sanctuary is named after the village Bakhira located adjacent to the lake.
Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary
- The Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Chandauli district of Uttar Pradesh.
- It spreads over the hillocks on the north slope of the Kaimur Range between the Ganges and Son rivers.
- It is well endowed with beautiful picnic spots, dense forests, and scenic waterfalls like Rajdari, Devdari & Naugarh waterfall that attract tourists every year to its vicinity.
- The Karamnasha River, a tributary of the Ganges, flows through the sanctuary, as does the Chandraprabha River, a tributary of the Karamnasha.
- Chandra Prabha Wildlife Sanctuary is situated about 70 kilometres from the historic city of Varanasi.
Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary
- It covers Meerut, Muzzafarnagar, Bijnor and Meerut districts. It lies on the western bank of the Ganges River.
- The sanctuary is named for the ancient city of Hastinapur, which lies on west bank of the Boodhi Ganga.
- It was established to protect the state animal of Uttar Pradesh, viz., Swamp Deer.
- Major Fauna: Swamp deer (VU), smooth-coated otter (VU), Ganges river dolphin (EN), gharials (CR).
Jai Prakash Narayan (Surhatal) Bird Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is a wetland located near the confluence of Ghaghara and Ganges Rivers.
- Established in 1991, the Jai Prakash Narayan Bird Sanctuary is a critical area for birds including migratory species.
- The eco-sensitive zone around the sanctuary was finalised in 2019 which prohibits and regulates many activities around the sanctuary.
Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is located in Sonbhadra and Mirzapur districts.
- It is contiguous with the Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary of UP and Kaimur Wildlife Sanctuary of Bihar.
- The extends along the Kaimur Range. It extends to the Son River on the east, and to the border of Madhya Pradesh on the west.
- It is an important tiger and elephant corridor.
Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is a located in the Upper Gangetic terai plain of Bahraich.
- It provides connectivity between tiger habitats of Dudhwa National Park (Uttar Pradesh) and Bardia National Park (Nepal).
- Dudhwa Tiger Reserve = (Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary + Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary + Dudhwa National Park.)
- Ghaghara River separates Dudhwa National Park from Katerniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary.
- Major fauna: Tigers, Gharials (CR), Mugger or marsh crocodile (VU).
- Girwa River in the Wildlife Sanctuary is natural habitat for gharials where they sympatric with the muggers.
Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is contiguous with the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
- The Sarda River (known as Kali River before it reaches the plains; it flows along the Indo-Nepal Border) separates Kishanpur Wildlife Sanctuary from the Dudhwa National Park.
- Major Fauna: Swamp deer (VU), Bengal florican (CR), Lesser Florican (CR).
Mahavir Swami Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is located along MP-UP border.
- It lies on the bank of Betwa River (a tributary of Yamuna) near Rajghat Reservoir.
National Chambal Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is located on the Chambal River near the tripoint of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
- It is part of the Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests ecoregion.
- The National Chambal Sanctuary is home to critically endangered Gharial (small crocodiles), the red-crowned roof turtle and the endangered Ganges River dolphin.
- Chambal supports the largest population of Gharials in the wild.
- Only known place where nesting of Indian Skimmers is recorded in large numbers.
- Chambal supports 8 rare turtle species out of the 26 found in the country.
- Chambal is one of the cleanest rivers in the country.
- Chambal supports more than 320 resident and migrant birds.
Nawabganj Bird Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)
- It is also known as Shahid Chandra Shekhar Azad Bird Sanctuary.
- It is located in Unnao district on the Kanpur-Lucknow highway.
Okhala Bird Wildlife Sanctuary
- It is a wetland located at the Okhla barrage over Yamuna River in Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar district, on the Delhi-UP border.
- It is formed by the creation of Okhla Barrage.
- The Okhla Bird Sanctuary is home to over 300 bird species, including both terrestrial and water birds. The sanctuary is among the wetlands falling in the Central Asian Flyway. The sanctuary also attracts a large number of migratory birds during the winter season.
Parvati Aranga Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)
- Parvati Arga Bird Sanctuary is situated in Gonda District of Uttar Pradesh.
- It is an ox-bow lake formed by the Ghaghara River.
- Important site for Sarus conservation in India.
Saman Bird Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)
- Saman Bird Sanctuary is a wetland in Mainpuri district, in western Uttar Pradesh.
- It is a seasonal oxbow lake on the Ganges floodplain.
- The sanctuary was established in 1990 to protect the large population of sarus cranes, which are the tallest flying birds in the world.
- In 2019, it was designated as a Ramsar wetland site, recognizing its ecological importance on a global scale.
Samaspur Bird Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)
- Samaspur Bird Sanctuary is a protected area situated near Salon in Raebareli district, Uttar Pradesh.
- It is a perennial lowland marsh typical of the Indo-Gangetic Plains.
Sandi Birds Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)
- Sandi Bird Sanctuary is a bird sanctuary in Hardoi district of Uttar Pradesh.
- It is a freshwater marsh designated as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International.
- The Sandi Bird sanctuary is also known by its ancient name as “Dahar Jheel”.
- River Garra, formerly known as Garun Ganga, passes near the sanctuary.
Shekha Bird Wildlife Sanctuary
- It located near Aligarh, UP.
- It is a perennial lake that came into existence after the formation of the Upper Ganges Canal.
Sur Sarovar Bird Wildlife Sanctuary (Ramsar Site)
- Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary is more popularly known as Keetham Lake, after the lake and the surrounding area which constitute the sanctuary.
- Keetham Lake, a haven for waterfowl, was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1991.
- The lake is home to over 126 species of migratory and resident waterfowl.
- It is located on the right bank of Yamuna River near Agra.
- Threatened species include the vulnerable greater spotted eagle (Clanga clanga), sarus crane (Grus antigone) and catfish Wallago attu.
- The Site is important for bird species which migrate on the Central Asian flyway, with over 30,000 waterbirds known to visit the reservoir annually. Over 1% of the South Asian regional population of the greylag goose (Anser anser) is present.
Other Wildlife Sanctuary in UP
- Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Bird Wildlife Sanctuary: Pratapgarh district.
- Lakh Bahosi Bird Wildlife Sanctuary: Kannauj district.
- Patna Wildlife Sanctuary: north-east of Agra in Etah district.
- Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary: Chitrakoot district.
- Sohagibarwa Wildlife Sanctuary: located on the bank of the Gandak River in the Maharajganj district.
- Sohelwa Wildlife Sanctuary: located along the Shivalik hills.
- Turtle Wildlife Sanctuary: Varanasi district.
- Vijai Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary: Mahoba District.