In this guide
In the tall grasslands of Dudhwa, along the Nepal border in Lakhimpur Kheri, herds of swamp deer (barasingha) graze while tigers hunt in the sal forests nearby. At Pilibhit, a tiger reserve became, in 2020, the first in the world to receive the international TX2 award for doubling its tiger population. And in the Chambal ravines, gharials bask on sandbanks in one of their last strongholds. Uttar Pradesh may be India's most populous state, but it holds some remarkable wild places.
Forest cover
- According to the India State of Forest Report (ISFR), UP's forest cover is low — well below the national average and far below the 33 per cent goal of the National Forest Policy — reflecting its dense population and agricultural land use.
- Forests are concentrated in:
- the Terai (Lakhimpur Kheri, Pilibhit, Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Maharajganj);
- the Vindhyan and Kaimur uplands (Sonbhadra, Mirzapur, Chandauli);
- Bundelkhand (Lalitpur, Chitrakoot, Jhansi).
Forest types
| Type | Where | Species |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical moist deciduous | Terai | Sal, teak (plantations), shisham, khair; tall grasslands |
| Tropical dry deciduous | Vindhyan and Bundelkhand uplands | Teak, tendu, mahua, palash, bamboo |
| Tropical thorn | Dry south-west | Babul, khair |
| Riverine | River banks | Grasses, tamarisk |
Tiger reserves
| Tiger reserve | District(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dudhwa | Lakhimpur Kheri, Bahraich | Includes Dudhwa National Park and Kishanpur and Katarniaghat sanctuaries; swamp deer, tigers, one-horned rhinos (reintroduced in 1984) |
| Pilibhit | Pilibhit, Shahjahanpur | Declared in 2014; won the TX2 award (2020) for doubling tiger numbers |
| Amangarh | Bijnor | Buffer area adjoining Corbett (Uttarakhand) |
| Ranipur | Chitrakoot | Declared in 2022; UP's first tiger reserve in Bundelkhand |
Wildlife sanctuaries (selected)
| Sanctuary | District | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Katarniaghat | Bahraich | On the Girwa river; gharials, Gangetic dolphins, tigers |
| Kishanpur | Lakhimpur Kheri | Swamp deer |
| National Chambal Sanctuary | Agra, Etawah (with MP and Rajasthan) | Gharial, Gangetic dolphin, red-crowned roof turtle; tri-state sanctuary |
| Chandra Prabha | Chandauli | Vindhyan forests; waterfalls |
| Hastinapur | Meerut and neighbouring districts | Ganga floodplains; swamp deer; wetlands |
| Sohagi Barwa | Maharajganj | Adjoins Nepal's forests |
| Kaimoor | Mirzapur, Sonbhadra | Vindhyan forests |
| Turtle sanctuary (Ganga) | Prayagraj, Mirzapur, Bhadohi | Replaced the Varanasi turtle sanctuary, which was denotified in 2020 |
Bird sanctuaries and wetlands
UP has many bird sanctuaries — for example, Nawabganj (Unnao, now Nawabganj/Shaheed Chandra Shekhar Azad bird sanctuary), Bakhira (Sant Kabir Nagar), Samaspur (Rae Bareli), Sur Sarovar (Agra), Saman (Mainpuri), Sandi (Hardoi), Parvati Arga (Gonda) — several of which are Ramsar sites. See our guide on wetlands.
State symbols
| Symbol | Species |
|---|---|
| State animal | Swamp deer (barasingha) |
| State bird | Sarus crane |
| State tree | Ashoka |
| State flower | Palash |
Conservation issues
| Issue | Examples |
|---|---|
| Human–wildlife conflict | Tiger and leopard attacks around Pilibhit, Dudhwa and Bahraich; elephants from Nepal |
| Corridors | Movement of animals between UP, Uttarakhand and Nepal (the Terai Arc Landscape) |
| Grassland loss | Critical for swamp deer and rhinos |
| Poaching | Tigers, rhinos, turtles |
| River threats | Sand mining and pollution affecting gharials and dolphins |
| Low forest cover | Pressure to increase green cover without taking farmland |
Green initiatives
- Large plantation drives (crores of saplings in single days) aimed at increasing green cover.
- Agroforestry encouraged on farmland.
- See our guide on forest cover and plantation drives.
Practice
Prelims-style:
- Which is UP's only national park?
- Which tiger reserve won the TX2 award?
- When was Ranipur declared a tiger reserve, and where is it?
- What are UP's state animal and state bird?
- Which sanctuary protects gharials in the Chambal?
Mains-style:
- "The Terai is UP's last great wildlife landscape." Discuss its conservation challenges.
- Examine the causes and management of human–wildlife conflict in Uttar Pradesh.
A note on dates and numbers. Exam patterns, vacancies and schedules change from year to year. Always confirm the current details in the latest notification on the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission website .
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