This is an archive article published on March 4, 2023
Asia’s first underwater crocodile viewing gallery to come up in Byculla Zoo by first week of April
Dr Sanjay Tripathi, director of the zoo, said this will be the first zoo in Asia to have its own underwater crocodile viewing gallery.
Written by Pratip Acharya
Mumbai | March 4, 2023 08:49 PM IST
3 min read
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At present, the zoo has two gharials (fish-eating crocodiles) and five crocodiles. (Express Photo by Ganesh Shirsekar)
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Asia’s first underwater crocodile viewing gallery to come up in Byculla Zoo by first week of April
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The Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udhyan or Ranibaugh (Byculla Zoo) in Mumbai is set to have an underwater reptile viewing gallery. The zoo authorities have said that this facility will be opened by the first week of April.
At present, the zoo has two gharials (fish-eating crocodiles) and five crocodiles. However, it does not have any dedicated space for them. This new crocodile-viewing facility will be spread over 4,200 square metre and will have an elevated platform as well as an underwater viewing gallery.
Vijay Nighot, chief engineer from the civic body’s building maintenance department that is carrying out the construction work, said that the facility will replicate the natural habitat of the reptiles.
“This viewing gallery is being constructed like a natural marshy habitat that will have a transparent glass window in the perimeter through which visitors can enjoy an unhindered view of the reptiles,” Nighot told the Indian Express.
He said that the viewing area is being divided into two sections. There will be an elevated platform, through which visitors can enjoy an elevated view. There will also be another viewing gallery, a little below the ground level that will provide an underwater view of the animals, similar to an aquarium.
Inside the enclosure, there will be natural vegetation like shrubs and bushes.
“We are also installing ozonation filters that will keep the water filtered for many days and prevent the formation of algae on the water bodies,” Nighot said.
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Dr Sanjay Tripathi, director of the zoo, said this will be the first zoo in Asia to have its own underwater crocodile viewing gallery. Tripathi said that the zoo management has already made requests to the Nandankanan Zoo in Odisha and Solapur Zoo in Maharashtra for acquiring five gharials and five crocodiles that will be housed in this new enclosure.
“At present, the crocodiles and gharials that we have are being kept in a quarantine facility. Once the facility is ready, all the new reptiles will be released for viewing. We are targeting an April first week deadline so that we can open it before the summer vacation season, during which the zoo records a heavy footfall of visitors,” Tripathi said.
For the time being, the main crowd pullers in Byculla zoo are the penguins and Royal Bengal tigers. Earlier on January 1, 2023, the zoo recorded a footfall of 32,820 visitors and generated a revenue of Rs 13.78 lakh, making it the centre’s highest single-day income so far.
Pratip Acharya is a seasoned journalist based in Mumbai reporting for The Indian Express. With a career spanning over a decade, his work demonstrates strong Expertise and Authority in critical urban issues, civic affairs, and electoral politics across Eastern and Western India.
Expertise & Authority
Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express (IE), reporting from Mumbai.
Core Authority: Pratip's reporting focuses sharply on local democracy and development, specializing in:
Urban Governance and Civic Affairs: Providing in-depth analysis of municipal decision-making, city planning, and local infrastructure, essential for informed urban reporting.
City Politics and Environment: Covering the political dynamics of Mumbai and surrounding areas, alongside critical environmental challenges impacting the metro region.
Electoral Coverage (High-Stakes Experience): He has extensive experience in high-stakes political reporting, having covered major elections, establishing his Trustworthiness in political analysis:
National: Lok Sabha elections in 2014 and 2019.
State: West Bengal Assembly elections in 2016 and Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2019.
Major Assignments (Ground Reporting): Pratip demonstrated commitment during crises by conducting ground reporting throughout the Covid-19 pandemic since its breakout in 2020, offering first-hand accounts and analysis of the public health crisis.
Experience
Extensive Experience: Starting his career in 2014, Pratip has built his foundation across multiple prominent English dailies:
Started at The Times of India in Kolkata (2014).
Relocated to Mumbai (2016) and worked with The Free Press Journal and Hindustan Times before joining The Indian Express.
Pratip Acharya's diverse experience across major publications, coupled with his specialized focus on the intricate details of urban governance and a track record of covering major electoral and health crises, establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for news from India's critical metropolitan centres. ... Read More
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