Bir Moti Bagh Wildlife Sanctuary

Bir Moti Bagh Wildlife Sanctuary lies about 5 km from Patiala and covers some 654 hectares. Protection dates back to an 1896 law of the princely state, the Preservation of Fauna of Patiala Act, and is one of the most visited sanctuaries in the district. The Maharajas of Patiala used it for organised hunts, which are recorded in two books, Hunting Dangerous Game with the Maharajas and Diwan Jarmani Dass's Maharaja.

The forest mixes toot (mulberry), mesquite, kikar, shisham, neem, mango and eucalyptus. Chital, blackbuck, hog deer, wild boar, monkeys, Indian porcupine and grey mongoose live here, and the birdlife includes grey and black partridges, black francolin and the Indian eagle owl. Part of the area holds a small zoo, a deer park and plots of medicinal plants. Visitors come for walks on the forest trails, birdwatching, wildlife photography and camping, and villagers nearby help return strayed animals to the reserve.