JOIN USGiraffes, zebras, white lions to find home in 'modernised' Mumbai Zoo
Giraffes, zebras, white lions and jaguars will soon find home in the Mumbai Zoo as the civic body of India's financial capital makes efforts to take it to international standards.
Veer Mata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan & Zoo, popularly known as Byculla Zoo or Rani Baug, is one of the oldest zoos of India – and the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is currently undertaking a massive phased-wise modernisation programme.
The New Delhi-base Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has recognised it as a “medium zoo” till September, 2022.
During Republic Day 2020, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had inaugurated a new aviary, that houses 100 species of birds.
Last year, two leopards were brought from Pilikula Nisarga Dhama (Mangalaru Zoo) and Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens (Mysuru Zoo) and two tigers from the Siddharth Garden and Zoo (Aurangabad Zoo) – adding to the attraction.
The aviary and the tigers, leopards and hyenas were the major attractions after the arrival of Humboldt penguins in 2016.
In its annual budget tabled on Thursday, the BMC a total budget provision of Rs 48.38 crore is proposed in revised estimates for 2020-21 and Rs 49.67 crore in budget estimates for 2021-22.
The BMC budget estimates were tabled by municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal on Wednesday.
In the second phase, construction of 10 animal exhibits has been completed and animals like tiger, leopard, sloth bear, hyena, jackal, sambar, spotted deer, swamp deer, Madras pond turtle and various birds in the aviary displayed for public viewing.
The construction of the remaining part of the bird aviary and enclosures for Otter, Indian Wolf, Sambar and Barking Deer and Nilgai and Four-horned Antelope is in progress and likely to be completed by March 2021.
Development work for Landscape Garden on the site of old offices of the Zoo and Garden department and adjoining land is nearing completion.
A new facility comprising models of various iconic places like Gateway of India, Sanjay Gandhi National Park, beaches, mangroves will also come up in the first floor of Interpretation Centre where visitors can take virtual tours.
A Zoo extension facility is being created in two adjacent plots – 10 acres – where exotic species like white lions, giraffes, zebras and jaguars would be kept. The request for proposals (RPF) for the project have been invited.