New Delhi: The Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) has recommended that only 38 deer should be retained in the deer park at Hauz Khas, given the space available. The remaining animals, now over 350, should be translocated to Rajasthan in a phased manner. It also suggested that the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) restore the park’s status as a mini zoo, and several habitat enrichment measures must be undertaken too.After the recommendations of the CEC, Supreme Court will take the final call. In a report dated March 6, the CEC said the enclosure can sustainably and humanely accommodate 38 spotted deer, with an optimal sex ratio of 15 males to 23 females. It observed that 261 deer had already been shifted to Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve and Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan between 2023 and 2025.The CEC observed that the current deer population at the park is substantially in excess of the scientifically assessed capacity, giving rise to serious concerns of animal welfare, habitat sustainability, and long-term population management.“For assessing the carrying capacity of the deer enclosure, the CEC examined the Guidelines for Establishment and Scientific Management of Zoos in India, 2008. It prescribes a minimum outdoor enclosure area of 1,500 sq metres per pair of spotted deer…. Treating approximately 70% of the gross enclosure area as net usable open space, the existing enclosure at AN Jha Deer Park, measuring about 10.26 acres (around 41,500 sq metres), provides an estimated usable area of about 29,000 sq metres,” the report said.The CEC also flagged signs of ecological stress within the enclosure, noting overgrazing, soil compaction and deterioration of ground vegetation. It recommended the planting of native grass, restoring of water bodies and lakes within the park, repairing of damaged fencing and night shelters.“Conservation science and contemporary wildlife management recognise translocation and prey augmentation as legitimate and widely accepted tools, particularly where such interventions are directed towards restoration of ecological balance,” the report said.The committee said that in the absence of individual identification measures such as ear tags, collars, or other permanent markings at the time of release, the precise survival rate of the translocated deer could not be ascertained.The park, which was set up in 1968 with just six deer brought from Uttarakhand, saw its population expand significantly over the decades. In 2023, CZA withdrew its mini zoo recognition and approved the translocation of nearly 600 deer, a decision that was subsequently challenged in Supreme Court.
