Uttar Pradesh is nestled in the foothills of Himalayas and a home of the rare species of animals and birds in the world. The state has various wildlife sanctuaries and national parks. Some of the famous wilidlife sanctuaries and national parks are Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary, Dudhwa National Park, Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary, Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary and National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary.

Dudhwa National Park is sitauted about 238 km. from Lucknow and 430 km. from Delhi. This national park covers an area of 680 square km. of grassland and woodland, including the buffer zone and has the finest quality of Sal trees in India. Dudhwa is one of the most exciting forest reserves of India. The Neora River and the dry bed of the Soheli run along its southern edge. The swamp deer or Barasingha, which move in herds, are found in the large numbers in the Sathiana and Kakraha blocks. Tiger, one-horned rhinoceros, sloth bear, ratel, civet, jackal, fishing cat, jungle cat, leopard cat, hog deer and barking deer are the other animals which can be seen in this park. Bird life is also abundant in Dudhwa National Park. The best time to visit this national park is between October and March. 

Kukrail Reserve Forest is situated about 8 km. from Lucknow. It is a picnic spot that was developed by the Forest Department. It has a deer park and a crocodile nursery along with a variety of birds and deer. 

Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary is situated about 43 km. away, on Lucknow-Kanpur highway. The Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary is an ideal site for bird watching and photography and has a huge marshland and shallow lake bordered with mixed dry forest. This sanctuary is the home of several migratory and water birds during winters. Some of the birds which can be seen in this sanctuary are pochard, shoveller, woodpecker, parakeet, coot, purple moorhen and common teal. The best season to visit this sanctuary is between October and March. 

Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary is situated about 70 km. from Varanasi. It is a breathtakingly beautiful picnic spot in the Chandraprabha forests and located on Naugarh and Vijaigarh hillocks in Vindhya forest range, in Chandauli district. This wildlife sanctuary was established in 1957 and sprawls over an area of 78 sqaure kms. The sanctuary is rich in varied types of flora and fauna and a perfect treat for the nature lover. It serves as an ideal habitat for various animals like Panther, Leopard, Beer, Chinkara, Cheetal, Sambhar, Chausingha, Hyena, Jackal, Wolf and other animals. This sanctuary is a bird watchers paradise, and one can see around 150 species of birds including partridge and peafowl. The best season to visit this sanctuary is between mid of November to mid of June.

Hastinapur Wildlife Sanctuary was established in 1986 in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. The Hastinapur Sanctuary covers an area of 2073 square kms. This wildlife sanctuary is inhabited by various types of wild animals like antelope, swamp deer, chital, nilgai, wolf, leopard, hyena, wild cat, gharial, wild boar and different types of birds.

Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary is located on the Uttar Pradesh - Bihar border, about 100 kms. from Varanasi. This wildlife sanctuary was established in 1982 and spread over an area of 500 square km. The vegetation in the sanctuary includes sal, sheesham teak, mahua, jamun, siddha, salai, koraiya and jheengar. The beauty of Sone and Echo valley can be witnessed here. The main species of wild animals found in the sanctuary are antelope, blue bull, wild cat, karakal, leopard, blackbuck, chital, chinkara, ratel, and bijju. There are quite a few varieties of local and migratory birds that form a large part of the wild population. The best season to visit this sanctuary is between November and April.

National Chambal Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Etawah, about 70 kms. from Agra. This sanctuary is spread over an area of 635 sq. kms and established in 1979. The sanctuary is presently a part of a large area co-administered by Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. This wildlife sanctuary has a collection of exotic and rarely found species of animals. The main attraction of National Chambal wildlife sanctuary is the gangetic dolphin. The park is inhabited by crocodiles, alligators, chinkara, swamp deer, sambhar, chital, nilgai, wolf, leopard, hyena and wild boar. This sanctuary can be visited thorughout the year.