Betla National Park

Oct 08, 2024

Betla National Park is a beautiful national park that is spread over the hilly terrain of the attractive Palamau district, west of Ranchi in Jharkhand. Wild elephants wander without restraints in the thickets of the forest and the flora and fauna are enough to mesmerize any visitor.

Though there are relatively fewer tigers here, a visit to this ancient area of Jharkhand will be worth it because it provides a deeper insight into the rich tribal heritage of the state. Betla stands as an acronym for Bison, Elephant, Tiger, Leopard and Axis. What makes this park stand out from the rest is the presence of two forts inside its premises. The primary attraction here is observing wildlife from a close range.

One of the most popular national parks of the North East, the park stretches over an area of around 979 sq. km, out of which 232 sq. km forms the main area and has the status of being one of the first 9 tiger reserves that were established in India. Due to its diversified ecosystem, the Betla National Park is home to a huge variety of wildlife. The park houses luxuriant sal and bamboo trees.

The Southern side of the forest is dominated by Sal trees whereas the Bel Aegle marmelos dominate the northern part of the forest reserve. The surging terrains of the park are marked by small hills like the Netarhat, Huluk, Murhu, and Gulgul. Several waterfalls and hot water springs found inside the park make it an interesting place to explore.

Flora and Fauna in Betla National Park

The animals found here include elephants, leopards, panthers, jackals, monkeys, Indian civet, chital, sloth bear, sambhar, nilgai, langur, mouse deer, porcupine, and chinkara among others.

The birdlife of the Betla National is also very rich featuring birds such as the hornbill, peafowl, red jungle fowl, black partridge, white-necked stork, black ibis, swamp grey, pied born bill, wagtails, the harial, doves, drongo, the crested serpent-eagle, forest owls, etc. Aquatic birds like teal, duck, snipe, and geese are also found near Kamaldah Lake.

History of Betla National Park

Betla National Park is set up in the Palamau district which is the place where the first tiger census was carried out in the year 1932. It was set aside as a protected area under the Indian Forests Act in 1947. Finally, it was declared as a wildlife sanctuary in the year 1973.

In 1974, the Palamau Tiger Reserve came into existence having an area of 1014 sq km. The Betla National Park had the honor of being one of the first tiger reserves in the country under the government's Project Tiger. It was declared as a National Park in 1986.