Mumbai zoo enclosure safe, assure officials

The killing of a youth in the Delhi zoo on Tuesday by a white tiger after he reportedly slipped and fell into the animal's enclosure, put the spotlight on the current security arrangements at the Byculla zoo.

Zoo authorities assure that the current security arrangements around enclosures walls are good enough to ensure that nobody slips or falls into them, unless someone voluntarily jumps. Better security facilities for the enclosures are part of the zoo's revamp plan.

"Currently a one metre high railing exists around the enclosures and vegetation between the stand off barrier. As per the new revamp plan, acrylic glass panels would be placed from where the iron bars stand with the recommendations of the central zoo authority," said a zoo official.

The zoo currently has 50 security guards. "They patrol the enclosures most of the time to stop visitors from entering the enclosure or pelting stones or giving food to animals," the official added.

"Visitors are warned not to get too close to animal enclosures. Many times they ignore these warnings. It is not humanly possible for the guard to be present all the time," the official said.

In March 2010, one of the female elephants in the zoo Laxmi had killed a 30-year-old drug addict.