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Dalma Wildlife
Sanctuary
 Best time to Visit
: Visit between October - June. It is 10 Km from Jamshedpur.
Dalma Sanctuary close to Jamshedpur, the Dalma Sanctuary (193sq km) is the best elephant habitat in Bihar. The pachyderms love to spend their summer here. Unlike Palamau that usually reels under a scorching sun, it continues to be pleasant at Dalma with temperatures mostly under 300C. Elephants migrate to this sanctuary because of the availability of water during summer. The next best choice for getting the closest possible view of elephants is the Betla National Park, and the most appropriate time for doing this would be Feb-March.
One of the boldest and biggest denizens of the jungle, gaurs prefer to remain close to elephants as they love to share the clumps pulled down by the tall tuskers. Gaurs usually move in herds except for the monsoon when they disperse and often fall prey to tigers.
The black buck, one of the fastest animals, also recognized for its good-looking corkscrew horns, has not been as lucky as the chital while adapting to the changing environment. Today black bucks have survived only in Bhojpur and are confined to the Kaimur
Wildlife Sanctuary
 Wild dogs, often held responsible for the depredation of wildlife, are limited to Hazaribagh and Palamau sanctuaries. It is thought that once a pack of wild dogs enters a forest, all wild animals, including tigers, leave it. The dogs consume sambar fawns, chitals and almost all herbivores in sight. In fact, wild dogs are despised even by hunters who hold them responsible for scaring game away.
Muggers and gharials are the two species of crocodiles found in Bihar. With the receding water levels of the Kosi River, the number of gharials (gavial) has greatly diminished. However, going by earlier reports from the village, numerous gharials cruise along with the floodwater and arrive at Madhepura town. Though gharials are found in the Ganges and the Gandak River, they mainly abound on the banks of the Kosi. Muggers (marsh crocodiles) have a wider distribution, as they inhabit stagnant water like jheels, reservoirs and rivers with slow currents. People at bathing ghats are always wary of these animals. The Karmanasa River in Rohtas, the Mohana River in Hazaribagh and the Bhera River near Ranchi are said to be infested with muggers. The Mutta Mugger Breeding Centre near Ranchi took off with three muggers from Bihar and two from Madras. Today the count has touched nearly fifty!
Dolphins
Dolphins were once popular in the Ganges, though they are rare today. The 50km stretch of the Ganges from Sultanganj to Kahalgaon has been declared the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary. Zoologists from Patna University claim to have sighted about 40 dolphins in the sanctuary.
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