CZA questions selfie points at Byculla zoo

Mumbai: The central zoo authority (CZA) has written a letter to the director of Byculla zoo, asking for an explanation for recent man-made constructions in the zoo including the cafeteria-cum-ice cream shop and 10-odd selfie points that are allegedly creating a nuisance in the park. According to the letter, visitors have been littering after visiting the cafeteria, close to which is an enclosure housing a hippopotamus. The park has now taken measures to reduce littering around the cafeteria.

The letter comes in the wake of a complaint by NGO, Plants and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS), asking that the cafeteria-cum-shop and selfie points be removed. PAWS has written a letter saying that the selfie points at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and zoo are causing a clamour among visitors. The letter claims that apart from the ice cream and popcorn shop near the hippopotamus enclosure, drinking water bodies are grossly inadequate inside the enclosure even as staff uses plenty of water to clean the statues outside. The letter says that new drinking plots are being built even as earlier ones lack maintenance, which is a waste of public funds.

The CZA in its letter dated May 17 has asked the zoo director to present a factual report not only to it but also to the complainant (PAWS) at the earliest. According to sources, the zoo received the letter on Wednesday and has been taking precautions ever since. When The Asian Age visited the zoo on Friday, it was found that the shop near the hippopotamus enclosure was creating garbage around the enclosure with people loitering around.

Sanjay Tripathi, director of the zoo, clarified that the selfie points are nowhere near the enclosures and hence, should not be a problem to anyone. “The allegations made are baseless. The shop in question is a very old shop and causes no harm to any animal in any way. We will be replying to the CZA about it.”