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MUMBAI: For the second time this year, the BMC floated tenders inviting agencies for procurement of zebras to be sent to Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden in Gujarat under the animal exchange programme. Tenders invited earlier this year for the same had received no response. Authorities at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Pranisangrahalaya, or the Byculla zoo, have been in talks with the Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden for a year now to bring lions to Byculla zoo under the anima exchange programme. The chief ministers office had also sent a request for a lion to the Gujarat chief minister in January this year. Zoo authorities said that in return the Gujarat-based zoo has sought a pair of zebras. As Byculla zoo does not have any zebras, it had to float tenders inviting agencies to procure zebras from a foreign zoo. Zoo authorities said earlier this year, when it had first floated a tender, two agencies had shown interest, but later said that they had some technical difficulties in filing the bid. Once again now, in a tender floated on Thursday, the Byculla zoo authorities have sought the procurement of two pair of zebras (two male and two female) for Sakkarbaugh zoo. This would need to be procured from the foreign zoo under the animal exchange programme either by way of donation, gift, disposal of surplus animals. A senior civic official associated with the process said, The agency which will be appointed to procure the animals will be be paid for shipping or any other transportation cost to get the animals. Also, handling costs will be paid. The estimated cost in this case is expected to be around Rs 40 lakh. The lions from Sakkarbaug Zoological Garden are expected to be brought to Mumbai once an agency for procurement of zebras is in place. Meanwhile, it may take a while before the two big cats, Drogon and Pinto, that were brought to Byculla zoo on April 28 this year are put out for public viewing. Zoo authorities said that owing to incessant rain this year, the work on construction of the the enclosures is yet to be completed only after which the animals would be shifted into it. Currently, the two leopards have been kept in separate quarantine areas and are being fed chicken and beef every day. |
