In Brief
The Supreme Court examined a challenge to the Delhi Development Authority's plan to translocate approximately 600 spotted deer from A.N. Jha Deer Park, Hauz Khas, without scientific assessment. The High Court had permitted the translocation citing administrative discretion. The Court stayed all further translocations, directing an independent expert (Central Empowered Committee) evaluation of the park's carrying capacity, survival of already-translocated deer, and habitat suitability. The Court held that wildlife management requires rigorous scientific foundation, not administrative convenience; translocation of protected fauna must comply with IUCN Guidelines and statutory norms. Urban wildlife parks are constitutional environmental assets under Articles 21, 48A, and 51A(g). The Court ordered comprehensive status reports and compliance roadmaps before any resumption of translocation.
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