Deer Park & Lion Safari in Silvassa

"We don't own the planet earth, we belong to it. And we must share it with our wildlife." - Steve Irwin 

Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened, and living in cities better known as concrete jungles, sighting a wildlife in their natural habitat is indeed a treat for the eyes! Over the years, wildlife sanctuaries have played a vital role in conserving all such endangered species. One such sanctuary that has been a home to various species of deer is the Deer Park in Silvassa. Lion safari is adjacent to the deer park but is separated by a few meters, and has a separate entry. This Deer Park along with the Lion Safari makes an ideal picnic spot with kids on the way to Daman and Diu. We visited this park on our way to Deltin in Daman in early June - just before the rains.

Location:

It is officially known as Satmaliya Deer Park and lies on the Khanvel road in Silvassa - the capital of the union territory, Dadra & Nagar Haveli. It is between Maharashtra and Gujarat and is about 4 hours drive from Mumbai (152 km). 

Tickets: 

For the Deer Park, the tickets are just Rs. 25 per adult and Rs. 10 for a child below 12 years. The Lion safari also charges the same.

Sighting: 

Upon taking a ticket, you are allowed to enter inside. Once inside, you can wait for the van to arrive and to take you around. The van usually comes in about 20-30 minutes after every round. The park is home to Sambhar, Chinkara, Blackbucks, spotted deer and antelopes. All these species can be easily spotted from the van as they are large in number. Van usually stops for a while for the tourist to capture good shots but they are not allowed to step out of the bus due to safety reasons. 

Many dug outs are being built inside the park, where the park volunteers go and dump food for the animals. Inside the park, there are mud trails where tourists can watch varieties of deer roaming around. Earlier, visitors could take their own car inside the park for a personal tour, but now this has been stopped to  reduce sound and noise pollution. There are government owned Gypsy Vans, which can be availed for a thirty minutes park tour. 

During holidays and weekends, try to visit early in the morning, else one might have to wait in a long queue. Moreover, one should remember that the Deer Park admits only a limited number of tourists every day. Hence, the ticket counter can refuse to give tickets if deemed required, much to anybody’s disappointment.

A little ahead of the Deer park is the Vasona Lion Safari. Unfortunately, the park is house to only one mighty Lion, and if you get lucky, you maybe able to spot it! But you may get lucky to sight different kind of birds such as Peacocks, Thrushes, Flameback Woodpecker and many more. 

The Mighty King of the Jungle

Best Time to Visit:

The park is open from 7:00 am to 6:00 pm. The best time to visit is from November to early June as rainy season is not ideal for the vans to go inside due to marshy trails. There is no online ticket booking system yet and hence, buying over the counter is the only option.

Wilderness without wildlife is just a scenery. So, love, conserve and take your children on wildlife safaris before the species become extinct.