Palamau tiger reserve

Location :25 kms. from Daltonganj, 161 kms. from ranchi.
Coverage area : 1026 sq. Kms
Main attraction : Tigers, Leopards
Best time to visit :Throughout the year
Nearby excursions : Betala National Park
Nearby cities :Daltonganj

Palamau Tiger Reserve is one of the nine reserves that are proposed under the umbrella of the Project Tiger in 1973. Famous for its magnificent wildlife and scenic undulating, Palamau is among the nine original tiger reserves of the country. The area was previously used for cattle grazing and

camping, and the entire forest was prone to catching fire till the Tiger Reserve was set up in 1974.

Covering a total area of 1,014 sq km, with a core area of 414 sq km and a buffer area of 600 sq km, Palamau Tiger Reserve saves some of the most endangered species of fauna and rare vegetation.

Location of Palamau tiger reserve

The Palamau Tiger Reserve is situated close to Ranchi, the capital city of the state of Jharkhand, as well as from the town of Daltonganj in the same state. It forms a part of the Betla National Park. Spread across a wide area of 1014 sq km, the region encompasses some of the forest villages like Ramandag, Latoo and Kujurum. Interestingly, majority of the villages in this area are small, including Meral that is about 99 acres wide with 9 families and 78 members.

Climatic conditions

The region across the Palamau Tiger Reserve is known to exhibit extreme climatic conditions with hot and dry summers, and extremely chilly winters cooling down to pleasant temperature at times. The maximum temperature during summer days can reach upto 48 degrees while winters can dip down to 3 degrees.

Best time to visitPalamau tiger reserve

Since the region experiences extremely unpleasant summer with scorching dry temperature, it is advisable to avoid visiting during summers. Winters, though, can be nippy, yet preferable for exploring the Tiger Reserve. The best time to visit Palamau is between February and April.

Animals that inhabit the sanctuary

Palamau Tiger Reserve houses an immense variety of fauna and floras, thanks to the Indo-Malayan realm that controls over the region exhibiting a distinct flora and fauna. The main predators that rule the forest are tigers, leopards, wolves, wild dogs and jungle cats. Herbivores like sloth bear, four horned antelope and mouse dear are among the residents of the area. Sambar, barking deer, cheetal, wild dog, pangolin and Indian ratel are other few species that can be spotted in the forest. However, the area is famous for the population of elephants, which has increased substantially during the past 50 years.

The vegetation in Palamau region is mainly about moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests that include Sal and bamboo as the major components. While the western part of the reserve mostly covers dry deciduous vegetation, the other part shows mostly moist mixed deciduous forests. Bamboo thatches grow in abundance in the entire spread. The Tiger Reserve herbarium records a good number of medicinal plants.

The avifauna too is quite rich with over 140 species of birds reported found in Palamau Tiger Reserve including partridges, peafowl, red jungle fowl, owls, babblers, tailor bird, red vented bulbul, blue-throat barbet, small green bee-eater, grey-heron, crested hawk eagle and vultures.

Distance of Palamau tiger reserve from major cities:

Betla,38 km
Latehar,71 km
Ranchi, 186 km
Hazaribagh,188 km
Patna,245 km
Daltonganj,268 km
Kolkata,576 km
Lucknow,585 km
New Delhi,1060 km

How to reach the National park ?

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Airways

Nearest airport is at Ranchi, located 120 km away and it is well-connected with all the major cities of India.
You may take cabs or rental cars to reach the tiger reserve.

Railways

Daltonganj is the nearest railway located 17.6km away, which has very good connectivity with all the major cities of India.
Ranchi is a bigger junction, at 186 km from Palamau, and it is also well connected with other major cities of the country.
Both private as well as government transports are available from these railways stations, as well as cabs and private cars.

Roadways

Palamau is well connected by roads and National Highways - namely NH 75, NH 100, NH 98 and NH 2, as well as with Medininagar-Balumath Road connecting to cities like Hazaribagh and Daltonganj.

Accommodation facilities

There are several hotels ? ranging in budget, style, comfort and location, available at Daltonganj and Ranchi, which are the major cities at the closest proximity of Palamau Tiger Reserve. You are required to contact the Field Director of the Reserve for accommodation and permits.

Things to do

Safari

Game drives in open 4WD safari vehicles, twice a day for two hours is the major tourist attraction. The normal safari timing is 06:00 am to 08:00 am and 03:00 pm to 06:00 pm.

Scenic indulgence

Palamau is a lesser known tourist attraction of Jharkhand, and hence less crowded, which adds to the serene teeming of wildlife and nature which contrasts perfectly with the ruins of the forts.

Explore endangered species

Palamau Tiger Reserve is known to be the home of a variety of endangered species of tigers. Though tiger is the ?signature? animal of the fauna here, several other predators like leopards, wolves, wild dogs and jungle cats along with sloth bear, four horned antelope, barking deer, mouse deer, gaur, chital, sambhar and elephants rule the jungle. One may spot many species of insects too, some of them are quite rare.

Avifauna

Palamau is known to house around 140 species of birds, including partridges, peafowl, red jungle fowl, owls, babblers, tailor bird, red vented bulbul, blue-throat barbet, small green bee-eater, grey-heron, crested hawk eagle and vultures.

Spot few most dangerous reptiles

Many varieties of snakes and lizards are found in the reserve ? red sand boa, Indian cobra, banded krait, king cobra, rat snake, python, Russell?s viper are some of the most dangerous ones. Lizards house includes chameleon, Indian house gecko, rock lizard, monitor lizards and many more.

Betla National Park

It is a must-visit place in Palamau, which is located in the western part of the Chotanagar Plateau. Known as one of the oldest wildlife parks of India, it is rich in wildlife and nature. You can spot animals like elephants, panther, sambhar, nilgai, kakar, deer, sloth bear and wild bear here. A paradise for birdwatchers, you may have a glimpse of peacock found here.

Excursion to HazaribaghWildlife Sanctuary and Netarhat

Hazaribagh Wildlife Sanctuary was once the home to many animals including tigers and leopards, though only few species like hyena, nilgai and others can be seen these days. Yet, the sanctuary nestling in low hilly terrain at an altitude of 2018 ft, it has its own scenic charm. Netarhat is popularly known as the ?Queen of Chhotanagpur?, located at 154 km west of Ranchi. Located at an altitude of 3700 ft, the plateau is famous of sunrise and sunset attracting hundreds of tourists.

Other attractions

Birdwatching
Lodh Waterfalls
Pilgrimage at BaidyanathDham

Conclusion

Lesser known, and thinly crowded by tourists, Palamau Tiger Reserve holds its own charm amid the rugged yet green scenic luxury treasuring the huge wildlife and unique flora.