Cuttack: The Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has planned to relocate some deer from Tulasipur park to other zoos.
The Tulasipur deer park has remained overpopulated for the last several years. Besides, the CMC has failed to set up a second park to accommodate the some deer from Tulasipur park, sources said.
Recently, the CMC convened a meeting to deliberate on various modalities to shift surplus deer from Tulasipur park to other zoos. Officials from the Forest department were present at the meeting.
“The CMC and the Forest department would prepare a detailed report for relocation of the deer. The divisional forest officer (DFO) would soon hold a coordination meeting to prepare the report,” said a source in the civic body.
It is learnt that the Tulasipur park was set up to accommodate a maximum of 30 deer. However, deer population at the park has reached 211.
The civic body has been facing flak from the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for overpopulation of deer at the park. Intervening in the issue, the Orissa High Court had directed the CMC to establish a second park to accommodate the additional deer from the park. However, the CMC has failed to arrange suitable land for the second deer park.
According to sources, the civic body had identified plots at Markatnagar, Bidyadharpur and Satichaura for the second deer park. But, it could not acquire land in any of these localities due to some issue or the other.
The CMC had also identified a piece of land at Uttamapur for the second deer park. However, the land was found to be the part of a riverbed in the Revenue department record.
Subsequently, the municipal body had decided to set up the second deer park at Mundali. However, the project could not be taken up as the district administration did not hand over the land to the CMC, sources said.
“The civic body would seek the approval of CZA to relocate surplus deer from Tulasipur park,” added the source.