Mumbai’s Byculla Zoo defies tradition; to remain open on Wednesday, for Christmas!

Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Zoo and Botanical Garden, also known as Ranibaug or Byculla Zoo, will break tradition and open its gates this Wednesday for Christmas, said Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Typically closed on Wednesdays, the zoo will welcome visitors on the festive holiday, shifting its weekly closure to Thursday, according to a release issued on Monday.

As per a civic resolution passed earlier, if a public holiday falls on a Wednesday, the zoo will be operational that day and closed, the following day. Read on to know what to expect at this famous Mumbai zoo.

Ranibaug, a Mumbai favourite, draws lakhs of tourists each year, especially children, with crowd-pullers like the Humboldt penguins and tigers, added zoo officials. But this season, visitors will miss Byculla’s 59-year-old elephant, Anarkali, who passed away on November 20. With her death, there will be no more elephants at the Zoo, in compliance with a Central Government ban on the intake and housing of elephants. Anarkali’s enclosure will soon be repurposed for a new species.