After lying vacant and in an uninhabitable condition for four years, the zoo director's bungalow, a heritage structure inside the Veermata Jijabai Udyan (Rani Baug) in Byculla, has undergone a major makeover. The year-long restoration project, which cost the BMC R1.5 cr, was taken up by the heritage department. The current zoo director, Sanjay Tripathi, is expected to move in this month.

Civic officials from the heritage department said that due to the dilapidated condition of the building, former zoo director Anil Anjankar moved out of the 2,000 sq ft bungalow in 2015. "The bungalow is close to 100 years old," said an official from the heritage department. "Over the years, the condition of the building deteriorated to the point where it was falling apart. Major repairs had to be taken up and nearly 70 per cent of the structure, which is mainly made of wood, had to be replaced."