Location : 25 kms. from Daltonganj
Area : 1026 sq. Kms.
Speciality : Tigers, Leopards
Best Time : All the year

The Wild At Its Wildest :
Spread over an area of approximately 1026 sq. km., Palamau Tiger Reserve is located within the civil administrative district of Palamau in the South Chhotanagpur plateau of Bihar. The undulating terrain is set off by sal forests and thickets of bamboo. The circuitous Koel River and its tributaries meander through the park.

Palamau has the distinction of being the forest where the world's first tiger census was conducted by way of pugmarks, in 1934. Large herds of Gaur & Chital are commonly seen. Elephants are present mostly after the monsoon upto the time when the water holes begin to dry up in March. Tiger, Panther, Sloth Bear, Wild Bear, Sambar, Nilgai, Deer are also permanent residents.

Palamau National Park is now a part of one of nine tiger reserves in India, under "Project Tiger”. Man-animal conflicts, caused largely by elephants are a major problem and pose Project Tiger with one of its greatest challenges.

The Wild Population :
Situated in the lndo-Malayan realm, Palamau is rich in flora and fauna. The tiger and panther comprise a significant part of the jungle population. Amongst the predators besides the tiger are leopards, wolves, wild dogs and jungle cats. Sloth bear, four horned antelope and mouse dear are some of the herbivores. Sambar, chinkara, dhole, wild bear are also found in good numbers.

The main inhabitants of the Palamau are the tiger, the Indian wolf, leopard, elephant, gaur, sambar, muntjac and nilgai. The sight of large herds of gaur and chital around the reserve along with the groups of pachyderms, is very common especially near the waterholes.

The flora:
The entire area has a good distribution of bamboo breaks. The herbarium recently prepared by the Tiger Reserve authority records a good number of medicinal plants. The western part of the Reserve is composed of dry deciduous forests and the other part shows characters of moist mixed deciduous nature.

Watching The Wild
There are good motorable roads inside the park that offer the motorists a close view of the wild in the dense forests. Providing excellent opportunities for observing the animals, without causing any disturbance, There are two towers and a tree top tower.

There are ground level hides as well for photographers to capture the animals.

Other Attractions :
Adding to the beauty of the reserve are the cascading waterfalls and hot springs. The place is dotted with historical monuments and a fort nestled deep in the forest. A one-time seat of the famed ‘Chero Rajas’, Palamau's past history is still visible in the form of its mighty forts, standing on the banks of the Koel and Auranga rivers of Chota Nagpur.

Travel Info:

Air: Nearest airport Ranchi is 161 kms away from Betla.
Rail: The nearest railhead is at Daltonganj 25 kms from Betla. And the second nearest railway station is Ranchi 161 kms from Betla. Road:Good motorable road connects Betla to nearby cities.

Area : 1026 sq.km
Buffer Zone: 813 sq.km
Core Area: 213 sq.km
Tourist Zone: 35 sq.km
Established as a tiger reserve in: June 1974
Altitude: 300 - 1140 meters
Temerature: Summer (Max : 47.0) (Min : 28.0 ) ,Winter (Max : 23.0)(Min : 7.0 )