From dinner with cheetahs to white lions on display: BMC’s new zoo plans

Spanning over 9.25 acres of land, the new exotic zone is slated to be developed at the Mafatlal compound, acquired by the civic body, abutting the hippo exhibit. On Friday, the BMC floated a tender to develop the ambitious plan for the third time in the past few years. Prior to this, the tender was first floated in 2019, followed by a Rs 291 crore tender, which was floated in 2022 and later scrapped owing to concerns of cost escalation.

Spanning over 9.25 acres of land, the new exotic zone is slated to be developed at the Mafatlal compound. (Express photo)

In its newly envisaged plan, the BMC is set to procure exotic animals and birds of at least 19 species, which include emu, wallaby, black swan, puma, gorilla, lorikeet, jaguar, tortoise, chimpanzee, tamarin and marmoset, white lion, zebra, giraffe, giant anteater, ring-tailed lemur, cheetah, etc.

Aiming to offer an educational and entertaining experience for the visitors, the exotic zone will be developed thematically to showcase the diverse wildlife of continents like the Americas, Africa and Australia.

In the Australia zone, for instance, the plan seeks to construct a boardwalk enabling visitors to walk through the iconic wildlife of the continent, including emus, wallabies and black swans. As a part of the African Savannah exhibit, meanwhile, the civic body is eyeing to construct a single paddock which will feature a mixed-species habitat, including zebras, giraffes and oryx.

In a first for the country, the exotic zone plan also seeks to construct a five-star, African-themed ‘cheetah restaurant’ which will be situated in the middle of three animal exhibits—cheetahs, ring-tailed lemurs and giraffe-zebra habitats—enabling diners to enjoy the view of the exotic species. As per the preliminary plan, the restaurant will have the capacity to host 500 diners per hour.

“This is our most ambitious concept, where one can see the animals while seated inside the restaurant and enjoying their meals. This is the first time that we are planning to develop something like this in India. The concept for the plan was devised by studying models of different zoos across the world,” an official from the Byculla zoo told The Indian Express.

African Savannah, the largest exhibit

Of the total 9.25 acres, nearly 5.6 acres will encompass the exhibits, with the largest being the African Savannah. The ‘cheetah restaurant’ will span over 2000 square meters of the area, while the remaining land portion will comprise ancillary features like landscaping, entrance plaza, kiosks, public toilets, pathways, etc.

“Another novelty of the project is that we plan on developing an exhibit for white lions, which do not exist in any other public zoo in the country,” added the official. At the white lion exhibit, the plan proposes to offer a safari experience by introducing specialised buses along the viewing gallery.

For each species, the authorities will create an environment mimicking its natural habitat. (Express photo)

For each species, the authorities will create an environment mimicking its natural habitat. According to officials, the species will be procured from international zoos, while some will be procured in exchange programmes within India.

The designs for the ambitious plan have been chalked out by Thailand-based HKS Designer and Consultants, with the civic body eyeing to construct the facility over a period of three years.

The long-awaited plan to establish the exotic zone forms a part of the Byculla zoo’s ongoing efforts to revamp the 163-year-old establishment. Earlier this year, the civic body floated a Rs 166 crore tender to establish a new aviary for exotic bird species at Nahur.

Meanwhile, the Byculla zoo is also set to feature a new dome-shaped aquarium comprising two walkthrough tunnels, which will be built with acrylic viewing, to provide viewers an unhindered 180-degree view of the marine ecosystem, which will include coral reefs and deep ocean fish.