India
Byculla Zoo to Receive Four Asiatic Lions from Gujarat’s Sakkarbaug Park
Mumbai’s Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo in Byculla, known as Rani Baug, will receive four Asiatic lions from Gujarat’s Sakkarbaug Zoological Park in Junagadh. On Wednesday, November 4 2026, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel directed officials to speed up the administrative process for the exchange. The directive followed a meeting between Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and Patel at his Gandhinagar residence that evening. A Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) statement said Patel ordered the Gujarat administration to complete the necessary formalities and begin signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the two zoos. The BMC expects a formal approval letter and a draft MoU from Gujarat soon. Under the proposed exchange, Sakkarbaug will provide two pairs of Asiatic lions—two males and two females—to the Byculla zoo, while the Mumbai zoo will transfer three pairs of tufted capuchin monkeys to Sakkarbaug. Both zoos have already agreed to the arrangement. The BMC also noted that a modern enclosure for the lions has been built at the Byculla zoo in line with the Central Zoo Authority’s master layout plan. Earlier that day, Tawde met Gujarat Minister of State for Forests Pravinkumar Mali and asked him to expedite the transfer; Mali instructed the forest department’s principal secretary to act. The meeting with Patel was attended by Dhrangadhra MLA Prakashbhai Varmora, senior Gujarat officials and BMC Zoo Director Dr Sanjay Tripathi. Although the Gujarat government has authorized the agreement, formalities remain incomplete and no arrival date for the lions has been announced. Published – November 5 2026 08:02 am IST