NEW DELHI: Delhi is set to lose its famous Deer Park with the central authorities cancelling its recognition as a ‘mini zoo’ and deciding to translocate the animals due to their rapidly increasing numbers and inadequate manpower.
An order to this effect was recently issued by the Central Zoo Authority, a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, officials said on Tuesday. “Six deer were introduced in the park in the 1960s and over time, the number swelled to 600. It had been given the status of a mini zoo by the CZA,” a senior official said.
The park, officially known as A N Jha Deer Park, in south Delhi’s Hauz Khas area is a popular picnic spot and a popular hangout zone. It comes under the jurisdiction of the Delhi Development Authority. A senior official of the DDA said, the park’s premises will remain open to visitors, as it was earlier. The CZA issued the order cancelling Deer Park’s recognition as a ‘mini zoo’ on June 8.