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Introduction
The
Palamau Tiger Reserve lies in the western part of the Chhotanagpur
plateau in Bihar state of India. The forest stretches from the
edge of the 
Netarhat
hill range in the south to the Auranga river in the north and
from the Latehar-Sarju road in the east to Madhya Pradesh border
in the west. The forest of Palamau is the catchment of the river
North Koel.
Palamau is the land of Palas and Mahua (and represents the biological
riches of the dry and moist deciduous eastern peninsular forests
with an interesting association of Sal and Bamboo.
The verdant landscape of the Reserve is clothed with stately Sal
in the valleys and lower slopes, and with dry deciduous forests
on the upper slopes and on the mound caps in the northern part.
Copious bamboo and scattered open grassy patches are common. Almost
pure patches of Bel (Aegle marmelos) are unique vegetation types
mostly found in the northern part of the reserve.
The track is undulating and the important hills are Murhu, Netarhat,
Huluk and Gulgul. Gulgul is the highest hill. Hill slops are steep
in southern part and gentle in the northern part of the Reserve.
There are many water falls. A few of them - Mirchaia Water Fall
near Garu, Suga Bandh Water Fall near Baresand and Lodh Fall,
which is the highest water fall in the Bihar State - are major
tourist attraction. There is a hot water spring, Tataha Pani,
near Barwadih.
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Conservation
History
Palamau Tiger Reserve was created at the
time when Project Tiger was in India in 1973.
The present area of the Reserve got duly constituted either as
Protected Forest or Reserved Forest under the Indian Forest Act,
1927 way back in 1947.
Prior to the creation of Palamau Tiger Reserve, the management
of these forests was highly commercial. There were some cattle
camps and the area was open to grazing. The entire forest area
used to be ravaged by fires every year. Poaching too was rampant.
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Census
Wildlife population estimations
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1993
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1994
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1997
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Archeology
Palamau
Fort of the great tribal king of Palamau, Sri Medini Roy, is situated
inside the Reserve in the Betla area. There are ruins of two forts
situated at New Qila on a hillock and Old Qila on the bank of
the river Oranga.
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Forest Types
Moist
Peninsular Sal, Dry peninsular Sal,Dry Bamboo Brakes,Northern
dry mixed deciduous,Moist peninsular low level Sal,Northern secondary
moist deciduous,Aegle Forests
Major
Flora
Main
Species
Shorea
robusta, Acacia catechu, Butea monosperma, Madhuca indica, Terminalia
tomentosa, Pterocarpus marsupium, Adina cardifolia, Anogeisus
latifolia, Indigofera pulchela, Moghania spp, Mallotus phillipinensis,
Holarrhena antidysentrica, Bothriochloa montana, Apluda mutica,
Chrtsopogan montanus,, Themeda spp., Chloris spp, Heteropogon
contortus, Albizzia lebbek, Bauhinia spp., Chloroxylon swietnia,
Lagerstroemia parviflora, Diospyros melanoxylon, Buchhanania lanzan,
Bridelia retusa, Bombax ceiba, Mitragyna parviflora, Lannea coromandlica,
Holoptelia integrifolia, Imperata arudinacea, Dendrocalamus strictus
Major
Fauna
Main
Species
Mammals:
Tiger,
Leopard, Cheetal, Sambar, Barking Deer, Wolf, Wild Dog, Elephant,
Mouse Deer, Pangolin, Fourhorned Antelope and Indian Ratel.
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Management
Practices,
Achievements and Shortfalls
The
management takes up ameliorative actions and compensatory developments.
The northern part of the buffer zone of the Reserve there is heavy
Lantana infestation.
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Special Projects
New Initiatives
Eco-development
Eco-development, a tool for conservation of natural resources
has been initiated under India Eco-development Project.
Village Forest Protection Committees
A few Forest Committees were constituted in Daltonganj South Forest
Division about five years ago but they have become inactive.
Protection Squads / Patrolling
Joint patrolling by field staff and police is done and raids are
organised as and when required.
Nature Interpretation Centre at Betla, has been built for environmental
education and awareness.
Education and Awareness
Nature
Interpretation Centre at Betla, has been built for environmental
education and awareness.
Constraints
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Funds
The
release of fund is generally delayed. Due to late release of funds,
activities like habitat improvement, fire protection, road repair,
payment of compensation to villagers and maintenance and improvement
of waterholes, which are crucial for wildlife management are not
carried out properly. Since the area is already under stress due
to excessive cattle grazing and bad law and order problem, the
delay in release of funds complicate the whole situation further.
Infrastructure
Inadequate.
There are four trucks, 4 jeeps and a medical van in running condition.
Other vehicles are not serviceable. At least 4 more jeeps are
required. There is also need of additional 24 wireless hand sets.
Livestock Population
There
is a pressure of about 70,000 cattle heads form the villages in
and around the Reserve. An additional 15,000 number of cattle
come from villages situated at 30 to 40 km. distance from the
Reserve.
Human population
The
population has grown many fold in the surrounding areasThere are
three tribal villages, Ramandag, Latoo and Kujrum, in the core.
The human and cattle populations in these villages are 549 and
643 respectively. These people belong to Oraon, Kherwar, Korwa,
Munda and Birjia tribes. There are 72 village in the buffer zone
of the Reserve and an additional 113 around it within the radius
of 5 km. The total human population in these villages has been
projected at over 1,16,549 out of which 39,000 people are living
within the Reserve boundary.
Grazing
The villagers graze cattle all over the Reserve. They are traditionally
allowed grazing in the buffer zone only.
Fire
Fires are often man made. On an average 5.3 percent of the Reserve
is affected every year by fire, resulting in degradation of natural
forests and hampering regeneration.
Poaching of fauna and flora
The reserve is affected by illicit felling of Khair (Acacia catachu)
and Teak (Tectona grandis) trees. More often than not, the offenders
undertake illegal activities in large groups and are often armed
with lethal weapons, including guns. Lack of trained protection/police
force is a major managerial constraint in controlling the menace
of illicit katha (a product of heart wood of Acacia catachu) manufacture.
There are cases of poaching of animals through muzzle loaded local
guns, poisoning and noose
Poaching of fauna and flora
