Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary

Soor Sarovar Bird Sanctuary lies beside the Delhi-Mathura highway near Agra and centres on Keetham Lake. The lake began as a man-made reservoir to supply water to Agra, but its position on major migration routes soon drew large numbers of birds, and in 1991 the area was declared a sanctuary. It covers 7.97 sq km, of which the lake takes up 2.25 sq km, with water 4 to 8 m deep. The place is also linked to the poet-saint Soordas, who is said to have composed devotional verse here.

More than 165 species of resident and migratory birds have been recorded, and the sanctuary also supports over 300 pythons. Inside it is the Agra Bear Rescue Facility run by Wildlife SOS, which has taken in more than 170 sloth bears once captured as cubs and forced to perform as "dancing bears". The rescued animals live in enclosures that imitate their natural surroundings.