Home / Environment / Supreme Court Tackles Deer Overcrowding Cruelty
Supreme Court Tackles Deer Overcrowding Cruelty
25 Mar
Summary
- Court finds severe overcrowding of 400 deer in a park meant for few constitutes cruelty.
- Expert panel report highlights park's capacity is only around 38 deer.
- Deer will be relocated to wildlife reserves in Rajasthan, including tiger reserves.
The Supreme Court has indicated its support for relocating approximately 400 spotted deer from Delhi's AN Jha Deer Park, citing the severe overcrowding as grave cruelty. The park, designed for only a few dozen animals, currently houses around 400, a situation the court described as unacceptable.
This decision follows a report by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC), which assessed the park's carrying capacity at approximately 38 deer. The report, submitted on March 6, 2026, details significant habitat degradation due to overgrazing and soil compaction.
The CEC recommended a phased relocation of the excess deer to wildlife reserves in Rajasthan, such as Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve and Mukundara Hills Tiger Reserve. This move aims to address both animal welfare concerns and ecological sustainability.
Previous translocation efforts between 2023 and 2025 saw 261 deer moved to Rajasthan, but procedural gaps like the lack of microchipping were noted. The court halted further transfers in November 2025 to allow for a fresh scientific assessment, focusing on the animals' well-being.
