An RTI query by the Watchdog Foundation has revealed that 275 animals and birds have died over the last six years at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Zoological Park (Queen’s Garden) in Byculla, Mumbai. During the same period, 286 animals and birds were born, according to a report in The Indian Express.
The zoo, run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), houses a variety of animal and bird species. In the past year alone, 25 animals died, including six spotted deer, an elephant, a turtle, and a parrot. Between 2019 and 2025, the zoo recorded 286 births and 275 deaths among its animals and birds. However, the data shows a decline in annual deaths. For instance, 70 deaths were recorded in 2019–2020, compared to just 25 in 2024–25.
In the past year, 16 new animals and birds were born, including three penguins, a chital (spotted deer), a deer, a heron, a monkey, a parrot, and a colorful stork.
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Dr. Sanjay Tripathi, Director of the Zoological Garden, stated that the death rate has declined over the last six years, and most deaths occurred due to natural causes such as old age. He also cited intra-species fights, injuries, and excessive bleeding as contributing factors.
“Group-living animals like deer, birds, and monkeys often fight to assert dominance or isolate weaker members. These fights sometimes result in fatal injuries,” Dr. Tripathi explained. He also emphasized that there were no deaths due to infection or mismanagement.
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