The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has given the Byculla zoo the go-ahead to carry out its ₹200-crore expansion plan, which is expected to begin in May.
On February 12, the CZA’s technical committee approved the master plan, which will create enclosures over a period of two years for exotic animals like the jaguar, cheetah, white lion, hippopotamus, wallaby, zebra, giraffe oryx, okapi, cassowary, emu, ostrich, ring-tailed lemur, mandrill monkey and chimpanzee.
In August last year, the Bombay High Court had dismissed a plea by Mafatlal Industries seeking a compensation of ₹1,600 crore from the BMC for land earmarked for the third phase of the zoo’s expansion. The BMC then took over possession of the 27,000-square metre land and started the tendering process to begin construction of the enclosures.
In the first phase of expansion, the BMC brought Humboldt penguins to the zoo. As part of the second phase, 17 animal enclosures are being constructed. The fourth phase will involve building enclosures for the gharial and creating an Amazon theme forest.
Meanwhile, three enclosures for spotted deers, sambar deers and barking deers have been constructed as part of the second phase of expansion.
The enclosures are expected to be inaugurated within 15 days along with the groundbreaking ceremony of a landscaped garden and maintenance work of some heritage structures.