Rs 200 cr facelift for Mumbai zoo as mayor Vishwanath moves in : The Tribune India

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Rs 200 cr facelift for Mumbai zoo as mayor Vishwanath moves in

Byculla Zoo celebrates the third birthday of Mr. Molt, one of the Humboldt penguin in Mumbai. — PTI

Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, May 19

With the official residence of Mumbai's mayor Vishwanath Mahadeshwar moving in to the city zoo, the long-neglected facility is getting Rs 200 crore facelift.

Under the expansion plan, which has been sanctioned by the Central Zoo Authority, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation which manages the British-era Veermata Jijabai Udyan originally Victoria Garden, a number of exotic animals would be added over the next two years.

Among the exotic exhibits proposed include wallabies, okapi, emu, cassowary, oryx, jaguar, white lions, etc.

According to zoo director, Dr Sanjay Tripathi, the animals would be exhibited in special glass enclosures.

"We have completed construction of some enclosures and a 3D theatre," Tripathi said. Soon two bird aviaries and ponds for turtles would be completed, he added.

The zoo authorities are bringing in a number of animals under arrangements with zoos in other parts of India. A pair of leopards and jackals has already been acquired from the Mangaloru zoo.

They will be put up for exhibition after their period of quarantine.

The authorities have also proposed to acquire a lion from the Junagadh zoo.

Officials from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation say the enclosures of most of the animals would have glass facades to prevent members of the public from harming them.

In 2016, the Shiv Sena-controlled BMC brought in seven Humboldt penguins from South Korea at the behest of party leader Aaditya Thackeray.

The birds which are controlled in a temperature-controlled enclosure draws scores of visitors.

Shiv Sena leaders like Thackeray felt that the Mumbai zoo needed to be upgraded quickly as a number of dignitaries are expected to visit the mayor's official residence, sources said.

The mayor moved into a guest house at the zoo last January after his official residence was converted into a memorial for the late Bal Thackeray.

The government is in the process of building a new official residence for the mayor at Dadar in central Mumbai which will be ready in about two years' time, officials said.