Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The deer will be moved to Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, according to the Deer Park authorities in Cuttack’s Madhusudan Nagar. Ajit Kumar Satapathy, ACF, City Forest Division, stated that approximately 35 of the roughly 290 deer in the park have already been moved to their new enclosure at Ambilo in the Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary.
The authorities at this Deer Park claim that because of the rapid increase in the deer population, the park has become overcrowded, necessitating the relocation of the deer to the spacious enclosure at Ambilo. The Chandaka Wildlife Sanctuary’s new enclosure spans 3.5 hectares of forest land, providing sufficient room to house the entire deer park population.
The deer were moved in response to an order from the Orissa High Court that required the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) to establish a new deer park. The order was issued four years ago by the High Court. Furthermore, the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) threatened to revoke the license of the Central Missouri Corporation (CMC), the organization in charge of maintaining the Deer Park, if it did not give the animals adequate room and care. Established in 1981, the Deer Park in Cuttack spans over 2.5 acres along the Mahanadi River’s banks. There are currently 296 deer living in the park, compared to just five at the park’s founding.
While many in Cuttack are unhappy over the closure of the Deer Park, Chandaka DFO Sarat Chandra Behera said, “We are equipped with more space, amenities, and food to take care of the deer better.” The deer will be released into Chandaka forest once they get acquainted with the forest environment, the authorities said.
