The Delhi forest department’s plan to shift a herd of Sambar deer from the elite Delhi Golf Club (DGC) to their new home in the Capital’s Asola Bhatti Sanctuary has been put on hold till the construction of the sanctuary’s boundary wall is
completed. There are 30 to 40 Sambar deer in the DGC at present. The deer stomp on the grass of the golf course and damage it.
The forest department had shifted a couple of deer from the DGC to the wildlife sanctuary in a meticulously planned operation in April, but the intense heat impeded the transfer of the rest of the deer.
According to Delhi government’s officials, the DGC had last year approached the Delhi Forest and Wildlife Department, requesting them to shift the deer to the Asola Sanctuary, which is witnessing an increase in wildlife population. In winter months, when food is scarce, they start eating the grass, which increases the maintenance cost, according to DGC officials.
“The sanctuary’s boundary wall is fragmented on the Haryana side. The concern is that the deer may get hurt or killed on the roads passing through or abutting the sanctuary,” a senior forest official said.