With the process of acquiring the land for the proposed Aarey zoo nearing completion, the civic body is planning to make it the new home to the man-eater leopards caged in the rescue centre of the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP). The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation will execute the plan after securing the permission of the Central Zoo Authority of India. "Wild animals like leopards that are man-eaters and cannot be released into the wild can be kept in the zoo. We can accommodate at least a few of them that are being kept in cages and give them a better home," said BMC commissioner Pravin Pardeshi. The proposed enclosure for the big cats would then be opened to public, Pardeshi added. Currently, there are around 10-15 leopards at SGNP.

Pardeshi said the primary focus of the Aarey Zoo will be the breeding centre for endangered and rare animals, but wild cats that are currently at the SGNP can also be  kept in enclosures in collaboration with the Forest Department. "We will co-manage the breeding centre with world organisations that specialise in research on breeding of endangered animals, like vultures, leopards and wild buffaloes," he said. The BMC will charge a fee for the research and the revenue from this would be used for the maintenance of the facility, Pardeshi added.