Soon, find Sambar deer at Byculla zoo; BMC begins work

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has initiated work to build seven animal enclosures at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale (VJB) Zoo and to ensure that there is no delay once these are ready, the zoo officials have already begun formalities for procurement of animals.

The work pegged at Rs 58 crore, is being carried out by Skyway Infrastructure Pvt Limited and should be completed in a year's time. The seven enclosures will house- lions, tigers, blackbucks, Swamp deers, aquatic birds and will also have combined enclosure for Sambar-barking deer and Nilgai-Four horned antelope.

"The first enclosure to be built would be that of swamp deer and blackbucks after which work on the enclosure of lion, tigers and others will be taken up as well. The swamp deer enclosure will be set up where the existing hippo enclosure is located-after shifting the hippo to the adjacent enclosure," said a senior BMC official adding that the blackbuck enclosure will come at the existing herbivore section.

Similarly officials informed that the bigger lion enclosure will be located at the existing crocodile enclosure while the Tiger enclosure will be built after demolishing the existing nilgai-sambhar enclosure.

Affirming that initial work on enclosures have already begun, Dr Sanjay Tripathi, Director, VJB Zoo said that the existing animals like crocodiles will be kept in quarantine area.

KEY DETAILS

• BMC has initiated work to build 7 animal enclosures at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Zoo
   
• Zoo officials have  begun formalities for procuring animals
   
• Project pegged at Rs 58 Cr, is being carried out by Skyway Infrastructure Pvt Ltd; it is expected to be completed in a year