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Home >> Wildlife
Sanctuaries in India >> The Palamau Tiger Reserve
The Palamau Tiger Reserve
Introduction
The Palamau Tiger Reserve was one of the first 9 reserves to be brought
under the umbrella of the Project Tiger in 1973. Spread over 1,026 sq km
of untamed wilderness, the Palamau tiger reserve is famous for its magnificent
wildlife and scenic, undulating terrain.
The tiger reserve encompasses the Betla National Park (226 sq km), which
makes the core area of the reserve, and the Palamau Sanctuary (980 sq
km). There are 107 villages in the buffer area and 3 in the core area.
The core is distributed in 2 parts- the actual core and the recently inducted
'Satellite core'. This core area was declared a National Park in September,
1989.
Wildlife in Palamau Tiger Reserve
The Palamau Tiger Reserve falls under the lndo-Malayan realm and is distinguished
for its flora and fauna. The predators that roam the forest grounds are
tigers, leopards, wolves, wild dogs and jungle cats. Among the heribivores,
there are sloth bear, four horned antelope and mouse dear. Interestingly
the first ever tiger census by way of pug mark count, was undertaken within
these forests way back in 1934. Since the first census, population of tigers
showed a steady decline till 1972, when their number dwindled down to 17.
However, after the declaration of the Sanctuary, it is stated, the number
showed a rise reaching a figure of 55 in 1989. The 1991 census figure shows
the tiger population as 54. This figure quoted by the Palamau Tiger Reserve
authorities is purely indicative and not absolute.
Beasts and Humans Inside the Reserve
The villagers who reside within the Palamau Tiger Reserve are predominantly
tribal, representing various ethnic groups like Munda, Kherwar, Chero, Birjia
etc. These tribes once led a nomadic pattern of life style till the early
part of this century and are extremely tolerant to wildlife and live in
complete harmony with their natural environs.
However, the enormous pressure put on the resource base of Palamau Tiger
Reserve is felt acutely with the passing of each day. Human needs, excrutiating
poverty, and scarcity of resources can be identified as the prime factor
responsible for man-animal confrontation, which is on the rise. Though a
declared Tiger Reserve, minor forest produces like bamboo and others were
allowed to be extracted from within the Buffer zones till the 1991 season.
Wildlife Population
The population of elephants in Palamau has increased substantially during
the past 50 years. Prior to 1920, this area had no elephant population but
the 20 odd elephants released by the Maharaja of Surguja turned feral, subsequently
increasing in number. The present elephant count exceeds 104 elephants which
show addition of herds from the Singbhum district of Bihar.
How to Reach Palamau Tiger Reserve Jharkhand
By Air :- the airport nearest to Palamau is at Ranchi 161 km away from
Betla.
By Rail :- The nearest railhead is at Daltonganj 25 km from Betla and
the second nearest railway station is Ranchi 161 kms from Betla.
By Road :- Good motorable road connects Betla to nearby cities in Jharkhand.
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