Byculla Zoo in Mumbai could receive four Asiatic lions from Gujarat’s Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden after the two facilities agreed in principle to an animal exchange, according to Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde. The proposal still requires a formal approval letter and a draft memorandum of understanding from the Gujarat government before the transfer can proceed.
Tawde discussed the proposal with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel at his official residence in Gandhinagar. After the meeting, she said Patel had directed officials to speed up the proposed exchange involving Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo, commonly known as Byculla Zoo, and Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden in Junagadh.
Under the proposed arrangement, Sakkarbaug would provide two male and two female Asiatic lions to the Mumbai zoo. In return, Byculla Zoo would send three pairs of tufted capuchin monkeys to the Gujarat facility. The report said both zoos have already agreed to the exchange, while the formal approval and agreement process remains pending.
The proposed return of lions would restore an animal exhibit that has been absent from Byculla Zoo since 2014. The zoo’s last lion, named Jimmy, died after a prolonged illness, according to the report. No further details about the proposed transfer date or the individual animals were provided.
The exchange is also linked to infrastructure prepared under Byculla Zoo’s master layout plan, which was approved by the Central Zoo Authority in New Delhi. The plan includes a modern enclosure for Asiatic lions. The availability of an approved enclosure is therefore a stated part of the municipal case for bringing the animals to Mumbai, although the report does not specify when the enclosure was completed or whether it has received any additional operational clearance.
Tawde also met Gujarat’s Minister of State for Forests, Pravinkumar Mali, in Gandhinagar. She asked him to issue directions to the forest department so that the lions could be sent to Byculla Zoo at the earliest. The reported next step is the receipt of Gujarat’s approval letter and the draft memorandum of understanding, followed by the required process for implementing the exchange.
The proposal highlights the administrative arrangements behind the movement of animals between zoos. While the public announcement identifies the animals, the participating institutions and the exchange terms, the supplied report does not establish a final transfer date, transport plan or the additional regulatory steps that may be required before the lions arrive in Mumbai.
