Wildlife Sanctuaries

BETLA NATIONAL PARK

Palamau's Betla National Park offers a fascinating study of wild life in natural surroundings studded with forests, hills and valleys. The Betla National Park, first established as a sanctuary and later upgraded to its present status, has carved a niche for itself within short span of it's life. The National Park occupies an area of 250 sq. km. on both the sides of all weather Mahuadans Road taking off from the main Ranchi-Daltonganj road on 11th km post as one comes from Daltonganj, the distance from Ranchi being 156 km. Ranchi is connected by road. Regular passenger buses fly between Ranchi and Daltonganj town from where Betla is only 25 km away. A number of buses is in operation between Daltonganj and Betla. The national park has a large variety of wild life. Once Betla had 2 tigers, 50 elephants, 800 sambhars, hundreds of wild boar and pythons as big as 15 to 20 feet. Most innocent of the lot are the spotted deer seen moving in herds. The park authorities provide jeep fitted with a search light to the visitors for a fixed fair. As the light falls on the herds of deer, they watch innocently with eyes glowing like green electric bulbs. Scared rabbits and foxes scamper about and the wild boar rustle in the layers. The most coveted sight is a majestic gaur popularly known as bison. It leisurely walks across the road as if saying, who is afraid of you. The elephants uproot bamboo and fell them on roads for apparently obstructing free plying of buses. The mammalian fauna to be seen at Betla include langur, rhesus, cheetal (spotted deer), blue bulls and wild boars. The lesser mammals are the porcupine hare junglee cat, honey badger, jackal, malabar giant squirrel and mangoose wolf, antelope etc. The park was declared in 1974 a tiger project reserve. 

JAIVIK UDYAN (ZOOLOGICAL PARK)

About 16km from Ranchi town on Ranchi - Patna road near Ormanjhi, is the zoological garden named Jaivik Udyan. A number of mammalian faunas have been collected there for visitors gaiety.  

HAZARIBAGH NATIONAL PARK

Hazaribagh National Park, about 135 km from Ranchi is also a sanctuary adorned with scenic beauties. The park has also the same features as that of Betla to some extent. The park has tigers, panthers, sambhars, spotted deer, bisons and a number of mammalian faunas. There are some towers which the tourists use to behold the beasts. A canteen is also there to cater. The park is approachable by all weather metalled road.