Mumbai zoo closer to getting four Asiatic lions from Gujarat

Mumbai's Byculla zoo is set to receive four Asiatic lions from Gujarat after a high-level meeting between civic leaders and the state government.

The Exchange Details

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel directed officials on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, to speed up the administrative work for the animal transfer. This follows a meeting in Gandhinagar between Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde and Mr. Patel. Under the proposed plan, Sakkarbaug Zoological Park in Junagadh will send two pairs of Asiatic lions, made up of two males and two females, to Mumbai. In return, the Byculla zoo will give three pairs of tufted capuchin monkeys to Sakkarbaug. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation stated that both zoos have already agreed to this swap.

Preparations and Next Steps

Ahead of the arrival, the Mumbai zoo has built a modern enclosure for the lions that follows the master layout plan approved by the Central Zoo Authority. Before meeting the Chief Minister, Ms. Tawde also met Gujarat Minister of State for Forests Pravinkumar Mali to ask for a faster transfer. Other officials at the discussions included Dhrangadhra MLA Prakashbhai Varmora and BMC Zoo Director Dr Sanjay Tripathi. While the Gujarat government has told officials to move forward, paperwork is still pending and no date has been set yet for when the lions will reach Mumbai.

Context

Exchanging animals between major zoos is a common practice used to manage wildlife populations and bring in new visitors. Sakkarbaug zoo in Gujarat is well known for housing and breeding Asiatic lions, which are found naturally only in the Gir forest region of the state.