The Supreme Court has stepped in to address alarming concerns over the handling and translocation of hundreds of deer from Delhi’s A.N. Jha Deer Park, Hauz Khas, issuing sweeping directions and ordering a complete halt on further transfers until an independent scientific assessment is completed.
Hearing appeals filed by the New Delhi Nature Society challenging the Delhi High Court orders that permitted translocation, a Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta expressed serious concern over prima facie evidence of violations in the manner in which 261 deer were already moved to two tiger reserves in Rajasthan, Mukundara Hills and Ramgarh Vishdhari.
The petitioner NGO alleged multiple breaches of Central Zoo Authority (CZA) norms and IUCN translocation guidelines, including overcrowded transport vehicles, absence of veterinary supervision, lack of tagging, transfer of pregnant and juvenile deer, and the release of semi-captive deer into tiger-inhabited areas without habitat assessment. Field inspections also reportedly revealed missing deer, skeletal remains, and inadequate monitoring mechanisms, raising doubts over survival rates.
Calling for a fact-based, scientific evaluation, the Supreme Court directed the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) to conduct a comprehensive on-ground audit of:
• The current deer population at A.N. Jha Deer Park;
• Actual survival and condition of deer translocated to Rajasthan;
• Habitat suitability, veterinary oversight, and compliance with CZA/IUCN guidelines.
The CEC must also submit a detailed roadmap for any future translocation, addressing tagging, scientific screening, transportation protocols, habitat studies, and post-release monitoring.
In strong directions to prevent further harm, the Court ordered:
• An immediate stay on all further translocation;
• A detailed status report from DDA on the unexplained reduction of enclosure land;
• A ban on all commercial, private or non-conservation events inside or around the Deer Park;
• Development of public outreach and environmental education initiatives instead.
Observing that the Deer Park has long suffered from overcrowding, poor veterinary care, and chronic mismanagement, the Court said wildlife cannot be handled merely as an administrative exercise. Emphasizing Articles 48A, 51A(g) and the environmental dimension of Article 21, the Bench noted that the need for ecological responsibility and scientific decision-making.
The matter will be taken up next on 17 March 2026, when the CEC and DDA are required to place their reports before the Court.
