Description

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Context

Palamu Tiger Reserve (PTR), one of India’s earliest tiger reserves under Project Tiger, is located in Jharkhand.

The recent successful relocation of Jaigir village from its core area is a major milestone in the human-wildlife coexistence paradigm.

Feature	Details
Location	Latehar and Garhwa districts
Geographical Zone	Western Chotanagpur Plateau
Area Coverage	1,014 sq.km. (Core: 414 sq.km., Buffer: 600 sq.km.)
Topography	Undulating terrain with valleys, hills and plains
Rivers	North Koel (main), Auranga, and Burha (only perennial one)
Climate	Drought-prone zone
Geology	Composed of gneiss, granite, limestone and rich in coal and bauxite

Flora

Tropical moist deciduous and dry deciduous forests.

Dominant species: Sal (Shorea robusta), bamboo and other hardwood species.

Rich in medicinal plants.

Significant presence of bamboo thickets aiding herbivores and elephants.

Fauna

Keystone Species

Tiger

Asiatic Elephant

Other Notable Fauna

Leopard, Grey Wolf, Wild Dog, Sloth Bear, Gaur, Four-horned Antelope

Among the first 9 reserves under Project Tiger (1973).

World’s first tiger census using pugmark technique in 1932 under J.W. Nicholson.

PTR has contributed significantly to early scientific methods of tiger monitoring in India.

Sources:

TIMESOFINDIA

PRACTICE QUESTION

Q. With reference to the Palamu Tiger Reserve consider the following statements:

It is located in Jharkhand and is part of the Betla National Park.
It was one of the first tiger reserves created under Project Tiger in 1973.
It is the only tiger reserve in India where a tiger census using camera traps was first initiated.
The Burha River is the only perennial river flowing through the reserve.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

A. 1 and 2 only
B. 1, 2 and 4 only
C. 2 and 3 only
D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer: B.

Explanation:

Statement 1 is correct: PTR is located in Jharkhand and includes the Betla National Park.

Statement 2 is correct: PTR was one of the first 9 reserves under Project Tiger launched in 1973.

Statement 3 is incorrect: PTR was the first reserve where a tiger census was done using pugmarks not camera traps.

Statement 4 is correct: Burha is indeed the only perennial river in the reserve.