Mumbaikars will have to wait till November to catch a glimpse of Asiatic lions at the Byculla Zoo. Thanks to the Central Zoo Authority's (CZA) delay in approving the transfer application for the two pairs of lions, zoo officials said they will be able to bring them only in August now, to avoid the heavy rains.

Officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said they received the letter of approval from CZA on Friday. "We had earlier thought that if CZA gives the approval by end of May, we could bring one pair of lions in June. However we didn't want to bring them in July, which is the month for heavy rains, since we're getting them by road. Zoo officials will now go in the first week of August," said a zoo official.