With licence revoked, Deer Park awaits fate, translocation stalled

Once celebrated as a quaint “mini zoo” in the heart of south Delhi, the Deer Park now sits in limbo, stripped of that identity since June 2023. What followed the cancellation of its zoo licence is a bureaucratic hustle that has left the animals suspended between courtrooms, official clearances and growing concerns over their welfare.

On a cold November morning, long before crowds arrive with cameras and coffee, dozens of spotted deer huddle quietly in the dew-heavy enclosure, waiting for the first rays of sunlight to warm their backs. A Delhi Development Authority (DDA) staffer walks in, pushing a cart stacked with winter greens – fresh fodder with handfuls of amla to boost nutrition. The animals take cautious steps toward their breakfast, following a rhythm that has remained unchanged for decades.

Spread across 25.95 hectares, the park was originally designed in 1968 to house just six deer brought from Uttarakhand. (HT photo)

Once celebrated as a quaint “mini zoo” in the heart of south Delhi, the AN Jha Deer Park now sits in limbo, stripped of that identity since June 2023. What followed the cancellation of its zoo licence is a bureaucratic hustle that has left the animals suspended between courtrooms, official clearances and growing concerns over their welfare.

Two years after the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) ordered the relocation of the herd, the plan has stalled. Of the roughly 600 deer originally housed here, 261 have been moved; nearly 400 remain in the only home they have ever known – despite the absence of legal recognition, specialised management or monitoring that any zoo is required to have.

CZA had revoked DDA’s licence in June 2023, citing failures to curb inbreeding and lapses in basic animal-care norms. It cleared the translocation of the entire herd to the Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary in south Delhi and to selected forest patches in Rajasthan. But residents petitioned the Delhi high court, arguing that uprooting the deer would disrupt an ecological and cultural landmark cherished for more than five decades. Following court directions, DDA applied in July this year to restore the mini-zoo status. CZA declined, pointing to past shortcomings and instructing DDA to appeal to the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC), the designated appellate authority. Since then, the matter has hung in procedural limbo.

In the absence of a zoo licence – and without clarity on whether the remaining deer are to be moved or allowed to stay – the responsibility of wildlife monitoring has fallen entirely on DDA, a land-owning agency with no formal role or scientific expertise in wildlife management. The Supreme Court has since put a stay on translocation, further freezing any forward movement.

The last official monitoring by CZA ended more than two years ago, raising alarms among conservationists.

“DDA is a land-owning agency and clearly does not have expertise in managing wildlife as it requires scientific know-how. This is evident from the CZA’s observation on inbreeding,” said Gauri Maulekhi, trustee of People For Animals. “Hauz Khas is not a biosecure enclosure designed to house wildlife. Either the forest department or the ministry must step in and assume responsibility.”

Others suggest a middle path. “There are two ways that this situation can be handled and monitored. DDA could hand over the area to the forest department completely. Alternatively, they can partner with another expert agency that is more equipped to handle animals,” said Sohail Madan, ecologist and director, WildTales foundation.

Officials managing the park insist the deer receive adequate care. A DDA veterinarian still oversees health checks, though he is retired.

“We have been maintaining the deer park for decades. With no clear directions on relocation, we are unsure if a new doctor should be hired,” a DDA official said, adding that winter diets with higher green intake have already begun and that all deer are healthy.

Spread across 25.95 hectares, the park was originally designed in 1968 to house just six deer brought from Uttarakhand. Over the years, the herd multiplied exponentially – surpassing 600 by 2023 – even as the enclosure remained unchanged, stretching the limits of habitat size, food availability and genetic diversity.

Last December, around 200 deer were moved to the Mukundra Tiger Reserve in Kota using the Boma technique, a method that employs a funnel-like structure to gently guide animals into transport vehicles with food as bait. No further transfers have taken place since.

Until then, the winter mornings will continue the same routine – a quiet gathering of deer that remains unaware that decisions about their future sit trapped in files moving between offices.