Panel passed Rs 56cr proposal for seven animal enclosure

Mumbai: The second phase of Byculla Zoo revamp project received a boost a couple of months ago when the BMC standing committee passed a Rs 56 crore proposal to construct enclosures for seven animals.

The animals include tigers, lions, swamp deer, nilgai, barking deer, sambar deer and aviary.

The enclosures are expected to be ready within one and a half year.

The civic officials have approached vario-us zoos across the country to complete the hand over process of these animals before the construction works of their exhibits is completed.
According to the civic officials, two Gujarat zoos — Gir National Park and Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden — have
been approached by Byculla zoo officials asking for the possibility of supplying Asiatic Lions.

Asiatic Lions, found only in Gujarat, have been classified as an endangered species. After the tiger, they are the second biggest extant cats in the wilderness of the
country.

“Along with Asiatic lions, we have also approached zoos in Kanpur and Chennai for tigers. We have sought jackals and hyenas from Gujarat and are planning to bring leopards from Borivali’s Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SNGP) to Byculla,” said a senior civic official.