Betla National Park in Jharkhand; National Park with Name Derived from its Habitats;

By George On

Betla National Park is situated in Latehar district, Jharkhand, India. Betla National Park is part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. This National Park is part of the Chota Nagpur Plateau. This National Park’s name was derived from the first letters of five animals: Bison, Elephant, Tiger, Leopard, and Axis-axis (chital or cheetal, an axis deer or spotted deer).

A Monkey in Betla National ParkA Monkey in Betla National Park

This National Park is also a tiger reserve under the Project Tiger scheme to save the Royal Bengal tiger endangered species, even though no Tigers have been spotted in this park recently!

The park is rich in flora and fauna. The lower reaches of the park consist mainly of tropical wet evergreen forests. Moist & dry deciduous forests consist of the middle reaches and alpine forests from the upper reaches. There are a large variety of animals in the park. Elephants and Langurs are seen in plenty. Other animals found in the national park include Sloth bear, panther, Jackal, wolf, hyena, gaur, chital, sambhar, mouse deer, four-horned antelopes, Kakar, small Indian civets, ant-eating pangolin, porcupine, nilgai, and mongoose.

A large variety of birds are also seen in the Betla National Park. Kamaldah Lake is famous for its water birds.

Deep inside the forests of the national park, one can see the main sentinel of the 16th-century old fort, Palamau Fort. It was the seat of the Chero Kings. There is another fort that is comparatively new when compared to the Palamau Fort, inside the Betla National Park.

Betla National Park has many Watchtowers and ground hides for those interested in watching the beasts of the jungle. Safari animals for elephant rides are there in the park. Jeeps, with guides to help the tourists, are also available in the park. November to March is the ideal time to explore the park. The summer months of May and June are ideal for those interested in exploring the wildlife (when vegetation dries up).

Trekking is a major activity here. There are camping sites at Netarhat.

How Do I Go to Betla National Park?

Betla National Park can be accessed only from Betla village, which is situated at a distance of 25 kilometers from Daltonganj. Latehar is at a distance of 65 kilometers from Betla village. Ranchi, the capital city of the Jharkhand state, is around 170 kilometers from Betla village.

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