Mumbai's Veermata Jijabai Bhonsale Udyan and Zoo (Byculla Zoo) is one of the popular tourist spots in the city, and over the years, BMC has been planning to improve the facilities for the visitors.
In a recent development, MCGM joined hands with Animal Planet to launch a 3D theatre in the Udyan and Zoo premises, where the officials will showcase five shows from Animal Planet. This move was taken in order to create awareness among the students, and teach them the importance of wildlife and conservation.
An event was held recently to announce the same, where Municipal Commissioner Ajoy Mehta spoke about the state of the zoo. While addressing the media he said that after a long wait of 4 years, visitors will soon be able to see a pair of swamp deer (barasingha) which will be brought from the Kanpur zoo, in exchange for a pair of military macaw monkeys which the BMC officials will be sending to the facility there.
Across the country, zoos follow a barter or exchange system to procure animals for their respective facilities. Keeping the same in mind, officials had raised a request with the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) for the exchange of animals like jackals, wolves, lions and others from zoos based out of Surat, Jodhpur and Junagadh. The approval of the same is awaited. On the other hand, BMC and the Byculla zoo officials have been planning to get more animals for the premise here, but are facing difficulties as there animals to offer in exchange. Currently, the Byculla Zoo hosts animals like elephants, crocodiles, monkeys, exotic birds, and others, but no other zoo wishes to procure them. Further, it is said that more than 50 per cent enclosures at the premises are empty.
Developments also mention that the civic body has acquired a seven-acre plot from Maftlal mall and as per the in its zoo expansion plan, officials will develop an enclosure for South American wild cat as planned.
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