Delhi's students appeal wildlife warden to stop relocation of deer; call for conservation efforts

NEW DELHI: Over 50 students have appealed to Delhi’s chief wildlife warden to prevent the relocation of deer from the iconic Deer Park in South Delhi. “Please don’t kill or relocate the deer from Deer Park,” read an appeal in one of the letters. The students’ plea comes in response to the Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) decision to move the remaining deer from the park, located in Hauz Khas, to other states.

Last year, around 200 deer were shifted to the Mukundra Tiger Reserve in Kota, Rajasthan, amid concerns about overpopulation, the risks of inbreeding, and inadequate resources to manage the growing deer population. The DDA, which manages the park, had proposed relocating the animals after reports indicated that the enclosure space was insufficient for the 600 deer that resided there.

To address this, the Delhi High Court, during a hearing in July, agreed to a proposal to retain a small population of about two dozen deer in the park while maintaining its “mini zoo” status. Students from different age groups, expressed their concerns in handwritten letters. “My favorite animal is the deer. I love them, so please, I request you not to remove them from here,” a student wrote. Echoing similar sentiments, another student said, “We love them, and we want them to stay here only.”

Experts oppose deer relocation

Divanshu, a student of class seven, said in his letter that he loved watching the deer play in the environment and requested the authority to not send them away. Conservationists and environmental experts argue that relocating the deer is unnecessary. The deer could easily be accommodated in Delhi’s biodiversity parks or forested in areas without predators, environmentalist Verhaen Khanna, who initiated the move along with students, said. "Noida is also opening a new deer park and plans to bring deer from Africa. We’ve written to Noida authorities, suggesting they accommodate Delhi’s deer, as they are much closer than those from Africa,” he said.

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He also highlighted the failure of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to implement basic population control measures. "The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) repeatedly advised the DDA to separate male and female deer or conduct vasectomies to manage the population. These steps were never taken, and now they are relocating the deer because the numbers have grown significantly," Khanna said. He said that around 200 deer have already been relocated, and approximately 400 remain, which they plan to send away if no action is taken.

Concern over predator's threat

The attachment to the deer runs deep, particularly among Delhi’s children. Students frequently visit the park and were disheartened to learn that the deer might be relocated, potentially as food for predators, the environmentalist said. “The kids of Delhi are emotionally attached to the deer and want them to stay alive in their home city,” Khanna added. When reaching out to the DDA for their reaction, they did not comment on the matter. The Deer Park, which originally housed six deer introduced in the 1960s, now has a population of around 600.