At the last count, there were around 44 tigers in the park. Other important inhabitants of the sanctuary are wolves, hares, chital, nilgai, monkey, common langur, gaur, leopard, and sambar . Elephants are also seen in large numbers in the park. The world s first tiger-census , based on pugmark count, was done in the Palamau forests in 1932. One can drive through patches of dense sal and bamboo forests in the park.
Elephants appear during the monsoon with the availability of water.
During the rest of the months, the water sources dry up and the park faces acute water-scarcity. The park is spread over a core area of 250 square kilometers and is also known as the Betla National Park. Peafowl, red jungle fowl, and partridges are the common birds here. A ride into the Tiger Reserve is quite exciting, if not always rewarding. One can hire a guide and a jeep from the forest department.