New Delhi: Delhi is going to lose its famous deer park as the central authorities have de-recognised it as a ‘mini zoo’ and decided to relocate the animals due to the rapidly increasing number of animals and inadequate manpower. Officials said on Tuesday that an order to this effect was recently issued by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. A senior official said, “Six deer were introduced into the park in the 1960s and over time the number has swelled to around 600. It was given the status of a ‘mini zoo’ by the CZA.”
The park, officially known as AN Jha Deer Park, is a popular picnic spot and a popular hangout area in South Delhi’s Hauz Khas area. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). The park premises will remain open for visitors, as it was earlier, said a senior DDA official. On June 8, the CZA issued an order de-recognition of Deer Park as a ‘mini zoo’.
“The decision was taken due to rapid increase in population, inbreeding, possibility of disease spread and lack of trained manpower to maintain the mini zoo,” said an official source. According to the source, now the forest departments of Rajasthan and Delhi will take further action for the relocation of the deer. “The Deer Park is a protected forest area and after shifting the deer, it will be maintained as a protected forest,” the source said.
As per the CZA order, “A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Dr. Sanjay Kumar Shukla, Member Secretary, Central Zoo Authority, on January 30, 2023, to deliberate on the proposal – ‘Translocation of deer and derecognition of AN’ Do ‘Jha Deer Park’.” It was suggested that “since the said zoo is said to house only about 600 animals, upon cancellation, the captive animals in the ratio of 70 per cent would be released in the natural habitat of the State of Rajasthan and the National Capital Territory of Delhi.” and 30 per cent respectively”, the order said.
It added that the release will comply with existing statutory provisions and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) guidelines on reintroduction and other conservation relocation. A senior CZA official said it was assured by the authorities that the park would “remain a green belt” and would not be used for any construction activities.
He said that before being shifted to the forest areas, the deer would be “quarantined” and only after it was ensured that there was no disease in them, they would be taken there.