Byculla Zoo gets tiger, tigress after 14 years
The tiger ‘Shakti’ and tigress ‘Karishma’ were brought to Mumbai from Aurangabad’s Siddharth Zoo under the Central Zoo Authority of India’s animal exchange programme
Two Royal Bengal tigers, a male and a female, have joined the ranks at Mumbai’s Veer Mata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, more commonly known as Byculla Zoo.
The two apex predators were brought to Mumbai on Wednesday from Aurangabad’s Siddharth Zoo under the Central Zoo Authority of India’s animal exchange programme.
The tiger named ‘Shakti’ is 4 years old while tigress ‘Karishma’ is of six years of age. The pair belongs to Panthera Tigris species that are declared endangered species by organization IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature).
The felines are currently under quarantine and will soon be available for public viewing.
Newest entrant in Byculla Zoo. Shakti – one of the tiger who arrived yesterday night from Aurangabad zoo sitting inside the quarantine on Thursday. @THMumbai pic.twitter.com/CiE7C0vMn0
— Emmanual Karbhari (@emmanual09) February 13, 2020
“The tigers are currently housed in the zoo’s quarantine facility and will soon be showcased to the public,” the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
The Byculla Zoo had not housed any tigers since 2006 and the civic body is hoping that the new arrivals will attract more tourists.
In exchange for the tigers, the Mumbai Zoo has sent two pairs of spotted deer and two pairs of painted storks to Siddharth Zoo.
