Pradesh is home to twenty-five wildlife sanctuaries; these are naturally-occurring places protecting species from poaching, predation, or hunting. The wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh are a protected area and geographic territory within which wildlife is preserved and protected. Sanctuaries are established by the IUCN category of IV protected areas; India has 543 wildlife sanctuaries. Uttar Pradesh is often called the tiger state; it is the best place to spot a tiger.

The state’s prime fauna consists of but is not limited to cats, tigers, elephants, wild boars, varied deer species, and rhinos. A few of the most popular wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh are listed below.

Hastinapur

The Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary is located alongside the River Ganga’s northern tip that flows through the districts of Bijnor and Muzaffarnagar. It is home to the state animal, the Swamp Deer, hog deer, cheetah, and sambar. Cranes are also found in Hastinapur; they are called The State Bird. There are also several pythons found in the area, with wild otters and various fishes in its numerous water bodies.

The wildlife in Hastinapur sanctuary is categorized into mammals, amphibians, and birds. The mammals found in the area include leopards, wild cats, muskrats, bats, wild hogs, mongoose, jackals, foxes, wolves, and deer. The amphibians or reptiles include pythons, cobra krait, turtles, crocodiles, and turtles. The birds include brown partridges, mynas, cuckoo and nightingales, falcons, hawks, eagles, and spotted bills.

Kaimoor Sanctuary

The Kaimoor sanctuary is located in the famous Kaimur hills range; it is the largest in the state. The sanctuary occupies an estimated 1,342 square kilometers, holding several fine waterfalls. The Kaimoor sanctuary is home to the oldest Fossil Park and ancient cave paintings. The wildlife that makes up part of the sanctuary include tigers, leopards, sloth bears, chitals, wild boar, sambar deer, and several others.

The Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary is home to over seventy resident bird species that stay there all year round. The number of birds increases in the migratory season when birds from the Central Asian region influx the area. The sanctuary is located in Mirzapur and Sonbhadra and is well connected by rail and road. The sanctuary spreads over the Vindhya Range, with dense forests and abundant fauna.

Mahavir Sanctuary

The Mahavir sanctuary is a very popular one, and it is located at the end of the Western Ghats making it somewhere everyone wants to visit. The Mahavir is the largest wildlife preserve in Goa state, with an impressive area coverage of 240 square kilometers. The Mahavir sanctuary is home to various plant species, animals, and birdlife and is a great place for nature lovers and hikers, with its tract of land being traversed by hiking trails.

The Mahavir Wildlife sanctuary is home to many animals within its dense forest which visitors are always eager to see. It is the natural habitat of several herbivorous animals, including mouse deer, hog, spotted deer, sambar, and barking deer. It also has carnivores, including the leopard cat, panther, tiger, toddy cat, and jungle cat. It is also home to 120 bird species, including the ruby-throated yellow bulbul, Goa’s state bird.

Ranipur Sanctuary

The Ranipur Wildlife Sanctuary is located 150 kilometers away from Allahabad in the Banda district. It was founded in 1977 and is noted for its diverse wildlife but rarely visited because it is difficult to access. Ranipur sanctuary is the natural habitat of several fauna species, including fishing cats and chinkaras, sloth bears, tigers, leopards, and sambars. Several bird species, including peafowl, spurfowl, blackbucks, painted partridges, and jungle fowls, are also present.

Ranipur Sanctuary has a dense forest region comprising plain grasslands and hills, providing protection to many fauna and flora species. Apart from its iconic array of wildlife, the sanctuary is also home to the Amha River, Lakhanpur Drain, and Jamunahi Drain. These rivers act as a water source for the entire wildlife species resident at the sanctuary. The famous holy attraction related to Lord Rama, Chitrakoot, is adjacent to the sanctuary.

National Chambal Sanctuary

The National Chambal Sanctuary is a known protected area for endangered crocodiles, the Ganga’s river dolphin, and the red-crowned roof turtle. It covered 5,400 km of areas in northern India and is located between Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. The calm Chambal River in the sanctuary cuts through narrow hills and valleys with many sandy beaches. Its main sources of attraction are the endangered crocodiles, Ganges river dolphins, and red-crowned roof turtles.

The sanctuary also houses several other wildlife species, including the striped hyena, the Indian wolf, and the smooth-coated otter. There are eight to twenty-six uncommon turtle species in the Chambal River within the sanctuary. They include the narrow-headed soft-shell turtle, crowned river turtle, and lined roof turtle. Other animals in the sanctuary include the Langoor, golden jackal, jungle cat, wild boar, fox, palm civet, porcupine, etc.

Dudhwa National Park

The Dudhwa National Park is home to more than 400 bird species, sixteen reptile species, and ninety fish species. The park, locally referred to as the Garden of Eden, was established in 1958 as a wildlife sanctuary. The initial purpose of creating it was to conserve the swamp deer; it was later converted into a national park in 1977. The park is currently under the Tiger project to conserve tigers; it was formally changed into a Tiger Reserve in 1987.

The park’s rich fauna includes several bird species, including kingfishers, cormorants, heron, sarus cranes, bulbuls, and orioles. However, there are certain species within the park that visitors can only glance at because they aren’t always out in the open. They include the tiger, rhinoceros, Bengal florican, crocodile, and swamp deer. It is also home to several unique bird species, including the Great Slaty Woodpecker and Swamp Francolin.

Conclusion

The wildlife sanctuaries in Uttar Pradesh contain several unique and unusual species not seen anywhere in the world. The state provides tourists and travelers with the opportunity to explore its rich flora and fauna when on a visit to Uttar Pradesh. It makes the most of its wildlife holidays at its maximally-conserved wildlife sanctuaries and national parks by ensuring regular maintenance and record of every wildlife.