Palamau, the only tiger reserve in Jharkhand, spans 1,129.93 sq km and is a watershed for the Koel, Burha and Auranga

Background

Palamau Tiger Reserve opened to visitors for the season on 1 October and stays open to 30 June.
Its total area is 1,129.93 sq km, made up of a core critical tiger habitat of 414.08 sq km and a buffer of 715.85 sq km.
A tourist zone of 53 sq km lies within the buffer.
It is one of the first nine tiger reserves in India and the only one in Jharkhand.
It lies on the western side of Latehar district on the Chhotanagpur plateau, with headquarters at Daltonganj, and Betla about 25 km away is the main tourism centre.
It is a watershed for three rivers, the Koel, the Burha and the Auranga, and its elevation runs from 300 to 1,140 m above mean sea level.
The Forest Department page records annual rainfall of 1,036 mm.