Review on Malsi Deer Park

Deer at Malsi Deer Park

Malsi Deer Park is a small zoo in Dehradun. I had visited with family and while this is a good park with a decent number of deer, there are not many other animals to be seen. There is a leopard enclosure but at the time of my visit, it was resting. The leopard enclosure is very small and I feel it is not practical. There are a few other animals and birds.

Rhesus Macaque

At the entry gate, they check for food which I found intrusive at first but then later realized that it is to discourage monkeys from stealing food from people. These are wild monkeys and especially young children should refrain from teasing them and then when they attack, who is to blame? From what I observed, sometimes adults also watch on laughing in the background while their kids tease or try to imitate the monkeys which can seriously result in a face mauling. I think such people have no respect for wildlife and thus passing this trait onto their kids. They are just there to see caged animals and move on.

There is a canteen near the entry gates which is located just outside the park. This area can get crowded and busy however quality of food is not that good. There is parking available near the entry gates. Entry fees are not that expensive. There is also an aquarium inside the park which houses a number of fishes.

Overall I think this a decent spot in Dehradun for a dayout. To make this truly a deer park, it would have been better if the deer were free roaming around the park grounds. This would make for a better experience.