Mumbai: Following the loss of two Royal Bengal tigers within six months, Mumbai’s Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Garden and Zoo, popularly known as Byculla Zoo, is set to bring in a fresh pair of tigers from Nagpur’s Gorewada International Zoo to revive its big cat population.
The zoo, operated by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), has already approached Gorewada authorities, who have agreed in principle to transfer the animals. According to a Lokmat Times report, a formal proposal has now been submitted to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA), whose approval is mandatory for the relocation and exchange process.
According to a senior civic official, the proposal is currently under review, and final clearance may take some time before the transfer is executed. As part of the proposed arrangement, the BMC has offered to send a few bird species from Byculla Zoo to Gorewada in exchange for the tiger pair.
The move is aimed at strengthening the zoo’s conservation and breeding programme, which has been impacted by recent losses. At present, the facility houses only two tigers, female Karishma and her cub Jay, after its population declined sharply.
Recent Deaths Of Tigers In Byculla Zoo
The zoo faced a major setback on November 17, 2025, when Shakti, a nine-year-old male Royal Bengal tiger, died due to respiratory failure caused by pneumonia. Earlier, on October 29, 2025, Rudra, the three-year-old cub of Shakti and Karishma, also died.
Rudra had been born at the Byculla facility after Shakti and Karishma were brought to Mumbai in February 2020 from Siddhartha Garden and Zoo. Their arrival had been seen as a major step toward boosting the zoo’s tiger population and enhancing its appeal to visitors.
With the proposed addition of a new tiger pair, authorities are hopeful of restoring the strength of the tiger population and continuing conservation efforts at one of Mumbai’s oldest and most prominent zoological parks. The final decision now rests with the Central Zoo Authority.
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