Bir Bhunerheri Wildlife Sanctuary

Bir Bhunerheri Wildlife Sanctuary in Patiala district covers about 660 hectares and was once a hunting ground of the Patiala rulers. It became a protected area in 1952. Only around 240 hectares of it are fenced, and the rest is open woodland.

The forest is dominated by dense stands of shisham and kikar, with jamun among more than 100 tree species, and this cover gives the animals shelter. Mammals include blackbuck, sambar, nilgai, hog deer, porcupine, jackal, rhesus macaque and jungle cat. More than 100 kinds of birds have been recorded, among them parakeets, spotted owlets, quails and pigeons. Visitors tour the sanctuary by vehicle in the manner of a jungle safari.