New Delhi, Nov. 28 -- On a cold November morning, long before crowds arrive with cameras and coffee, dozens of spotted deer huddle quietly in the dew-heavy enclosure, waiting for the first rays of sunlight to warm their backs. A Delhi Development Authority (DDA) staffer walks in, pushing a cart stacked with winter greens - fresh fodder with handfuls of amla to boost nutrition. The animals take cautious steps toward their breakfast, following a rhythm that has remained unchanged for decades.

Once celebrated as a quaint "mini zoo" in the heart of south Delhi, the AN Jha Deer Park now sits in limbo, stripped of that identity since June 2023. What followed the cancellation of its zoo licence is a bureaucratic hustle that has left the animals...