A shallow marshland 45 kilometres from Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. Monsoon rains feed this diverse wetland while the Sarda Canal supplies additional water. The Sanctuary supports recreation and tourism activities as well as local biodiversity. It is a haven for birds, with 25,000 waterbirds regularly recorded and 220 resident and migratory species documented. Among these are globally threatened species including the endangered Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus) and Pallas’s fish eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus) as well as the vulnerable lesser adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) and woolly-necked stork (Ciconia episcopus). Protection and afforestation measures have helped increase the overall diversity of wildlife, with golden jackal (Canis aureus) and jungle cat (Felis chaus) now present. The highly invasive common water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) poses a threat, as does the removal of timber from the forests. State forest officers along with the Office of the Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) jointly manage the Sanctuary.