Welcome gift for 2 new tigers at Mumbai’s Byculla zoo: A Ranthambore-like enclosure
MUMBAI: The authorities of Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, colloquially known as Byculla zoo, are planning to replicate the surroundings of Ranthambore National Park inside the enclosure for two tigers that will be coming to the city zoo from Aurangabad.
Located in Rajasthan, at the junction of the Aravalli and Vindhya hill ranges, Ranthambore National Park is one of the largest national parks in the country with a dense tiger population.
In 2019, Aurangabad zoo witnessed a surge in tiger populat i o n. As i t i s s t r uggl i ng t o accommodate t he bi g cats, under an exchange programme, Aurangabad will s end t wo tigers, which are expected to reach Mumbai by mid-2020, while Mumbai will send a number of exotic birds to Aurangabad.
Zoo authorities in Mumbai feel that replicating conditions of Ranthambore in the city will be a practical option since the national park has a dense population of tigers.
Accordingly, t hey have planned to develop flora, fauna, landscape and terrain in the 3,500 square-metre tiger enclo
Authorities said the tigers from Aurangabad are expected to arrive in Mumbai by mid-2020 under an exchange programme. The Aurangabad zoo has an excess of tigers in their enclosure. In exchange for the tigers, the Byculla zoo authorities will send some exotic birds to Aurangabad. Authorities feel replicating the conditions of Ranthambore will be a practical option as the national park has a dense population of tigers.
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Zoo authorities are also planning to introduce battery-operated vehicles for visitors to travel inside the premises
sure that replicates the conditions in Ranthambore.
Sanjay Tripathi, director of Byculla Zoo, told HT, “We have f l oated bids f or plantation inside enclosure of the tigers, replicating it the way it is in Ranthambore National Park. The work is expected to be completed in next two months, and the tigers are expected after that.”
Currently, zoo authorities
Visitors may also get a cafeteria near the bay for Humboldt Penguins, as the Byculla zoo authorities recently roped in a contractor to operate the cafeteria.
have sent a proposal to Central Z o o Aut h o r i t y ( C Z A) for approval on housing tigers inside Byculla zoo.
Apart from tigers, Byculla zoo also houses a pair of leopards that were brought from Mangaluru’s Pilikula zoo in April 2019.
Additionally, eight Humboldt penguins – three males and five females – from South Korea were sent to Byculla zoo in July
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weekdays Every day during
Every weekend 2016 and have been on public display since March 2017.
Byculla zoo is also expected to get battery-operated vans for visitors to roam around the zoo premises.
The bids for this plan are close to being finalised. The zoo receives between 7,000 and 10,000 visitors daily during weekdays and approximately 15,000 visitors daily during weekends.