Mumbai: 

CHEETAH BHI JEETA HAI: An image of the proposed Cheetah exhibit restaurant at Byculla zoo

Animal activists and NGOs have vehemently opposed the BMC's plan to construct a day-and-night restaurant at the Veer Jijamata Udyan zoo, also known as Rani Bagh, in Byculla.

According to the BMC's Veer Jijamata Udyan zoo renovation project, within three years, the zoo will have a restaurant, where people can dine alongside animals with a glass barrier separating them. An area of 7,500 sq ft will be allotted for the cheetah enclosure and visitors at the restaurant will be able to see the wild cats even after the zoo shuts down. 

"You will have people sitting and watching animals from a close distance. They may tend to tease the animal, resulting in the animal's behaviour being affected," explains Katie Bagli, a volunteer of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and also a member of the Save Rani Bagh Botanical Garden Action Committee. "Rani Bagh is the largest green, open public space in the heart of the city. This space should not be converted into an elitist facility for the rich," fumes Katie.

NGOs and animal activists have written to the municipal commissioner, blaming the civic body for wasting Rs 400 crore on needless renovations for the project. However, the BMC defends its plan saying it will not encroach on the space reserved for animals. "The restaurant will be situated outside the zoo campus. There are many similar resorts, hotels and restaurants all over the world inside sanctuaries, wildlife, parks and zoos," says R A Rajeev, additional municipal commissioner of the BMC.