Palamu district

Palamau is a district of Jharkhand state, India. The district lies between 23°50′ and 24°8′ north latitude and between 83°55′ and 84°30′ east longitude. It is bordered on the north by river Son and Bihar, on the east by districts of Chatra and Hazaribagh , on the south by Latehar District and on the west by Garhwa District.

The district covers an area of 5043 square kilometers and has a population of 1,533,176.

Daltonganj, situated on North Koel river in the district headquarters. The town is named after Colonel Dalton, Commissioner of Chhota Nagpur in 1861.

Palamau National Park

The district is home to the famous Palamau National Park (Betla National Park) known for its wild life. The park is spread over a core area of 250 square kilometers. The area is rich in flora and fauna but also prone to severe droughts. The Palamau National Park was brought under Project Tiger in the year 1973 and is among the original Tiger Reserves of India. Sal and bamboo are the main vegetation.

World's first tiger-census was done in the Palamau forests in the year 1932. Counting was based on pugmarks. There were around 44 tigers when the last census was done. There are several other wildlife found in the sanctuary — chital, chinkara, common langur, dhole (wild dogs), elephants, gaur, hares, Indian porcupine, nilgai, monkey, mouse deer, leopard, pangolin, panther, sambar, sloth bear, wild boar and wolves. Peafowl, red junglefowl and partridges are the common birds found here.

The tourists can drive through dense patches of sal and bamboo in the park. A guide and jeep can be hired from the forest department. Watch towers are there to observe the wildlife in relative safety.There are tree houses which can be rented out for stay and food arrangement is also there.

The wildlife sanctuary can be reached by train from Daltonganj or by air from Ranchi.

ee also

Districts of Jharkhand