Supreme Court Approves Shifting Of Deers From Delhi's AN Jha Park To Rajasthan, Directs Centre To Frame Guidelines On Wildlife Relocation

The Supreme Court has upheld the translocation of deer from Delhi's A.N. Jha Deer Park in Hauz Khas to tiger reserves in Rajasthan, while issuing wide-ranging directions to regulate wildlife relocation across the country. A bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta upheld the Delhi High Court's decision regarding deer's translocation to places outside Delhi while retaining a few of them at the AN Jha Park. Accepting the findings of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), the Court closed the proceedings, directing authorities to implement a scientific and time-bound translocation plan. The following directions were issued:- "A. All the recommendations contained in the report of the Central Empowered Committee, quoted supra, are hereby accepted. B. The concerned authorities are directed to take necessary steps for the relocation of the deer from A.N. Jha Deer Park in a time-bound manner, under the supervision of the Central Empowered Committee, and in strict adherence to the draft guidelines on Animal Translocation as framed by the Central Empowered Committee. C. It is directed that retention of up to 38 deer at A.N. Jha Deer Park as recommended by the Central Empowered Committee shall be permissible only subject to the grant of requisite approvals and clearances by the Central Zoo Authority. The DDA shall ensure that it develops and upgrades the necessary logistical capacity, infrastructure, and adequately trained human resources for the upkeep and management of the said deer population. The DDA shall ensure that the retained population has an optimal sex ratio of 15 males to 23 females. Such retention shall be effected only upon and in accordance with the permissions granted by the Central Zoo Authority. In case, the DDA is unable to attain these mandatory compliances, appropriate application may be moved in this Court for clarification/further directions. D. The concerned authorities shall take all necessary and proactive steps to comply with the other recommendations made by the Central Empowered Committee. E. In view of the fact that the area comprising the A.N. Jha Deer Park, Hauz Khas, New Delhi stands declared as a protected forest, it is hereby directed that, under no circumstances, shall the nature or status of the said area be altered, and the same shall continue to be maintained as a protected forest at all times in the future. F. The draft comprehensive guidelines prepared by the Central Empowered Committee for future wildlife translocations, incorporating scientific methodology, identification and tagging protocols, procedural safeguards, transportation and veterinary requirements, ecological feasibility assessment, and a post-release monitoring framework in conformity with the applicable statutory regime and IUCN Guidelines, shall be examined by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and implemented, with such modifications as may be deemed appropriate, within a period of six months. These guidelines deserve to be, and shall be, imparted statutory status. A compliance report shall be submitted to this Court in respect of this direction. G. The Registry is directed to forthwith transmit a copy of this order, along with the report of the Central Empowered Committee, to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change for necessary compliance."Background The case arose from a challenge to the proposed relocation of hundreds of deer from A.N. Jha Deer Park in New Delhi to the Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve and Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve. The petitioner, an environmental body, opposed the move and sought expansion of habitat within the park instead. However, authorities cited limited carrying capacity, rising deer population, and ecological concerns, including poaching risks, to justify translocation. Earlier, the Delhi High Court had disposed of the matter after recording assurances from the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) that only a small number of deer would be retained and the rest relocated. Aggrieved, the petitioner moved to the Supreme Court, which, vide order dated November 26, 2025, had stopped the translocation of spotted deer from Delhi's A.N. Jha Deer Park to Rajasthan, after finding a 'distressing pattern of negligence' on the Delhi Development Authority's (“DDA”) part while translocating deer. The Court also ordered a probe into the negligence and asked the CEC to explain the reduction in the AN Jha Deer Park area and to stop leasing the park for commercial events from now onwards, whose report was directed to be submitted by March 17, 2026. Pursuant to the submission of the report by the CEC, the Court now endorsed the report, which stated that the AN Jha Deer Park could sustain only 38 deer based on scientific parameters laid down by the Central Zoo Authority. The report also highlighted that the park had lost its “mini zoo” recognition due to non-compliance with statutory norms and that unchecked population growth had ...

Supreme Court Approves Shifting Of Deers From Delhi's AN Jha Park To Rajasthan, Directs Centre To Frame Guidelines On Wildlife Relocation

Yash Mittal

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Supreme Court Approves Shifting Of Deers From Delhi's AN Jha Park To Rajasthan, Directs Centre To Frame Guidelines On Wildlife Relocation

Yash Mittal

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