Mumbai’s Byculla zoo to open its gates from November 1

Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo in Byculla, popularly known as Byculla zoo, will open to visitors on November 1, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a statement. However, the BMC has appealed to senior citizens and children below 5 years of age to avoid visiting the zoo in view of Covid-19.

Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo in Byculla, popularly known as Byculla zoo, will open to visitors on November 1, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a statement. However, the BMC has appealed to senior citizens and children below 5 years of age to avoid visiting the zoo in view of Covid-19.

The zoo opening up its gates once again would also mean that the public can expect to get the first glimpse of the two new additions to the colony of Humboldt penguins. (HT FILE)

According to the BMC, citizens can visit it between 9.30am and 6pm, however the issuing of tickets for entry will be stopped by 4pm, unlike the earlier 5.15pm.

In a statement the BMC said, “Senior citizens and children below the age of five should avoid visiting gardens and zoo. Masking while in the public area will be mandatory for visitors and they also will not be allowed to store their belongings as the facility for storage in the zoo for the public is temporarily closed. Visitors are also appealed to not throw away their single-use masks and gloves if required in the premises but only in the designated disposal bins placed.”

The BMC has further said that gates and ticket counters will be shut immediately, in case of crowding at any given time owing to following social distancing norms due to Covid-19.

Further, the zoo opening up its gates once again would also mean that the public can expect to get the first glimpse of the two new additions to the colony of Humboldt penguins. Of the two penguin chicks born this year, one has been identified as a male who is named Oreo, the gender of the other chick is still to be determined. The zoo authorities are in touch with a Hyderabad based-diagnostic centre for it.

The Byculla zoo was opened on February 15 this year, after the first Covid wave, but was shut in no time owing to concerns related to the second Covid wave. Besides penguins, citizens will also be able to catch a glimpse of the Royal Bengal tigers named Shakti and Karishma, which were brought from Siddharth Garden and Zoo in Maharashtra’s Aurangabad city in February 2020, just before the country went under a nationwide lockdown.