A zebra-lion exchange seems to have halted the arrival of all other exotic species to the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, popularly known as Byculla zoo. Mumbai had sought two pairs of lions from the Junagadh and Indore zoos, which wanted zebras in exchange. As the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) does not have them, it has been scouting for zebras in European zoos without much success. The process has also delayed the arrival of other species like black jaguars and chimpanzees as these plans will proceed only after the lions arrive and their setup is ready.

The BMC has been struggling to get zebras from international zoos for more than 10 months now. Under the expansion and upgrade plan of Byculla zoo, the BMC plans to introduce new animals to the city. Two years ago, the BMC decided to introduce two pairs of lions from Junagadh and Indore in exchange for zebras, which were to be bought from Ramat Gan Safari Park in Tel Aviv, Israel, at a cost of Rs 80 lakh.