Mumbai, Dec 05: The deaths of two Royal Bengal tigers within a month have brought the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo in Byculla under public scrutiny.
Nitin Bankar, a BJP functionary from the Byculla Assembly constituency, has alleged negligence on the part of the zoo authorities and has demanded the post-mortem reports of both tigers. He stated that he would escalate the matter to the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) once the reports are obtained.
Tiger History at Byculla Zoo
In February 2020, Royal Bengal tigers Shakti and Karishma were brought to Byculla Zoo from the Siddhartha Garden and Zoo in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
The pair had three cubs — Veera (born November 2021) and Jay and Rudra (born November 4, 2022). Veera died in May 2022 due to health complications. Three-year-old cub Rudra died on October 29, 2025, followed by the death of nine-year-old Shakti on November 17, 2025.
Allegations of Negligence
“We suspect Shakti died after a bone became lodged in his respiratory tract during a meal, but the zoo authorities claimed he succumbed to respiratory failure caused by pneumonia. In Rudra’s case, they stated he was weak. I do not believe this; it is clearly a case of negligence. I have demanded the necropsy reports and will request the CZA to investigate and take action against the responsible officials,” said Bankar.
Zoo’s Position
According to zoo authorities, Rudra was born with Trypanosoma and was extremely weak from birth. Despite receiving various treatments over the past three years, he succumbed to his illness on October 29, 2025. The Byculla Zoo currently has two tigers remaining: Karishma and her cub Jay.
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Zoo Expansion Underway
Meanwhile, on Friday, the BMC invited tenders for the Phase 3 expansion of the Byculla Zoo. As part of the project, new exhibits will be constructed on two plots acquired from Poddar and Mafatlal Mills.
The expansion has also received approval from the Central Zoo Authority, and the new exhibit areas will be designed around the continents to which the animals belong.
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