Byculla zoo’s exotic zone to be upgraded soon

Over the next three years, the VJBU plans to set up 18 new enclosures or exhibits for the zone at a cost of ₹4.98 crore

Mumbai: The Byculla zoo also known as the Veermaa Jijabai Bhonsale Udyan (VJBU) is set to upgrade its ‘exotic zone’ with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issuing tenders for a new facility. Spread across 10 acres, the new exotic zone will house 18 species, including a white lion, giant anteater, ring-tailed lemur, cheetah, and zebras too.

The Byculla zoo also known as the Veermaa Jijabai Bhonsale Udyan (VJBU) is set to upgrade its ‘exotic zone’ with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issuing tenders for a new facility. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT PHOTO)

Over the next three years, the VJBU plans to set up 18 new enclosures or exhibits for the zone at a cost of ₹4.98 crore. Each enclosure will consist of three distinct areas: a viewing area with acrylic panels, a paddock area simulating the natural surroundings of animals, and an area where the animals can rest and be fed. While the exotic zone will be accessible from inside the zoo, it will have a separate ticketed entry.

The work is scheduled to begin by mid-January and is expected to be completed within three years, an official said. The design has already been approved by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), and procurement of animals is expected to begin soon too.

Meanwhile, the zoo authorities have finalised a contractor, Dev and DB Consortium, to build an aviary facility at Nahur Village at a cost of ₹146 crore. While the Byculla zoo already has two aviaries for terrestrial and aquatic birds, the new Nahur aviary, spread across 17,958 sq.m and based on an aviary in Singapore, is expected to house over 206 species of exotic, regional and endangered birds.