[category]
[title]
Sad news today: it's time we bid farewell to (some of) our dearest deer residing inside Hauz Khas' AN Jha Deer Park!
There's been a bit of a controversy surrounding the deer – who've lived in an enclosure inside the park since the 1960s – in recent times, with courts deliberating on its status as a mini-zoo. In the latest, the Supreme Court has upheld a previous judgement ordering that hundreds of deer be sent off to wildlife reserves in Rajasthan.
The order cited a scientific study, highlighting that the limited urban enclosure inside the park is ecologically unsound for the deer.
'We cannot be unmindful of the fact that deer, being a wildlife species, ought not to be confined to cages or restrictive enclosures, save in exceptional and compelling circumstances duly justified in law and on ecological considerations,' said the Supreme Court bench.
It's not all bad news, though: the court has permitted the retention of a limited number of deer – up to 38 – ordering strict compliance with guidelines. The status of the park as a protected forest remains intact.
More on the park
Deer Park's a beloved green space in South Delhi – not only is it an urban oasis of biodiversity in an otherwise busy area, but it's also home to loads of historical buildings, including, most notably, the 14th-century Hauz Khas tank built by Mughal emperor Alauddin Khilji. Read a full review of the park here.