Intense heat impedes transfer of Delhi Golf Club's sambar deer to Asola Sanctuary

The scorching heat has disrupted the transfer of a herd of Sambar deer from the elite Delhi Golf Club (DGC) to their new home in the capital's Asola Bhatti Sanctuary, officials have said.

One of the oldest and most reputed institutions in the heart of Delhi, 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 the wildlife population.

''It is not exactly known if the deer existed from the beginning or if someone introduced them to the DGC…Their number has increased over time,'' an official said.

The deer stomp on the grass of the golf course and damage it. In the winter months, when food is scarce, they start eating the grass, which increases the maintenance cost, the DGC official said.

Deer need a natural environment with minimal human interference, officials said, adding the transfer will improve the prey base for leopards in the Asola sanctuary.

An official said around six to seven deer have been shifted from the DGC to the wildlife sanctuary in a meticulously planned operation. ''Shock and stress are a leading cause of death among deer. It is being ensured that they are shifted from one place to another when there is minimal traffic movement and human interference,'' the official said.

However, the intense heat has impeded the drive. ''Since Asola is a new place for these Sambar deer, they may not know the location of water holes, which will create stress among them.So, the transfer of the remaining deer has been deferred,'' the official said.

''We have not removed the infrastructure, including the cages and camera traps, from the DGC. The transfer will now be carried out after the heat abates,'' he said. The DGC official quoted above said some of their members have also opposed the transfer of the deer. Between 2010 and 2019, the Rajasthan Forest Department also relocated several sambar deer from the Delhi Golf Club to the Ranthambore National Park's buffer areas.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)