India, Aug. 5 -- Plans are afoot to relocate a group of spotted (Chital) and Sambar deer from the Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park in Katraj (Katraj Zoo) to the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) in Kolhapur as part of a broader initiative to decongest the deer enclosure at the zoo while strengthening the prey base within the tiger reserve and improve its ecological balance.

A team from STR visited the Katraj Zoo on Monday to assess the feasibility of such a transfer and initiate the process. The inspection team, led by Amit Bhise, assistant conservator of forests, Chandoli division, STR, carried out a detailed survey of the facilities, condition of the animals, and the logistics involved in the possible relocation.

Zoo director Rajkumar Jadhav c...