Mumbai: Byculla Zoo's Penguin Exhibit Costs BMC ₹14.41 Crore In 3 Years, Constituting 24% Of Total Zoo Maintenance Expenses, RTI Reveals

While the penguins have been a major attraction at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo at Byculla, they have also proved to be a costly venture for the municipal corporation. An RTI report reveals that from December 2021 to August 2024, the civic body has spent Rs.14.41 crores on the maintenance of the penguin exhibit, which accounts for 24% of the total maintenance costs for the zoo. Between April 2023 and September 2024, the zoo reported 46 lakh visitors and generated a revenue of Rs.16 crores.

In response to an RTI query from Godfrey Pimenta, founder of the WatchDog Foundation, the BMC disclosed that the total expenditure on overall zoo maintenance reached Rs. 46.24 crores from May 2021 to August 2024. Additionally, approximately Rs. 9.67 crores were allocated for maintaining gardens across the city. Two months ago, the civic body initiated a tender process worth Rs.19 crores for the ongoing maintenance of the enclosure, set to take effect for three years starting November 2024, when the current contract expires.

The zoo originally acquired three male and five female penguins from Coex Aquarium in Seoul, South Korea, in October 2016. Since their arrival, they have been housed in a quarantine facility, where temperatures were carefully maintained at 16-18 degrees Celsius. Over the past seven years, their population has grown to 18. Furthermore, the zoo authorities are prepared to engage in penguin exchanges with other zoos across the country. However, the building and maintaining cost of the enclosures for the penguins is high. 

After failing to find a home for penguins, the civic body planned to expand the existing penguin exhibit to better accommodate the growing population and enhance their living environment. Meanwhile, the contract for the maintenance of the penguin enclosure, awarded in November 2021, is set to expire in the next three months. In light of this, civic authorities have issued a tender to appoint a new contractor. A civic official explained that the penguin enclosure is equipped with chillers and CCTV cameras for 24/7 monitoring, as well as a team of veterinarians, animal keepers, and engineers dedicated to overseeing the care and management of the penguins and their habitat. 

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An RTI report revealed that from April 2020 to August 2024, 187 animals and birds died at the Zoo, while only 87 were born. Among those that passed away, 51 were members of the deer family, with some deaths attributed to cardiac arrest and respiratory issues. However, the zoo management has indicated that such occurrences are relatively common, often arising from natural aging processes or conflicts among animals.

Zoo Maintenance 

May 2021-2023 - Rs.19.96 crore

June 2023-Aug 2024 - Rs. 16.60 crore

Garden Maintenance 

June 2021 - May 2024 - Rs.9.67 crore

Penguin Maintenance

Dec 2021- Aug 2024 - Rs.14.41 crores