The Supreme Court on 27 April 2026 upheld the relocation of surplus spotted deer from Delhi's A N Jha Deer Park at Hauz Khas to wildlife reserves including Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve and Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta accepted the Central Empowered Committee's findings and directed time-bound translocation under scientific protocols. The case arose from a challenge by the New Delhi Nature Society against the relocation plan. The court allowed only up to 38 deer to remain in the park, subject to Central Zoo Authority approval and prescribed norms. The committee's March 6, 2026 report found that the deer enclosure covered about 10.26 acres and could sustainably support about 19 pairs, or around 38 deer, under zoo authority norms. It said the population had grown exponentially because of weak population control and poor compliance with zoo management standards. The court rejected the idea that additional Delhi land should simply expand confinement, holding that wildlife should not be kept in restrictive enclosures except in exceptional circumstances justified by law and ecology. It also said the Hauz Khas area must remain a protected forest and its nature or status cannot be altered. The park's mini-zoo recognition had been cancelled due to non-compliance and expiry of licence in August 2021. The court endorsed a structured roadmap: acclimatisation, soft release instead of abrupt release, veterinary supervision, telemetry collars and post-release monitoring. National wildlife translocation protocols must be finalised within six months, and the next compliance hearing is listed for 19 January 2027.