Rs 20 crore spent on cages for lions, wolves, otters. But there's a catch

Byculla Zoo has spent nearly Rs 20 crore on empty cages for animals that are not yet part of the zoo

The Byculla Zoo, run by Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), in Mumbai, spent Rs 8.25 crore on an enclosure for lions, Rs 7.15 crore on another for wolves and Rs 3.82 crore on a third for otters. But there is a catch - the zoo has no lions, wolves or otters.

According to a Right To Information (RTI) query filed by The Young Whistleblowers Foundation, the zoo has spent nearly Rs 20 crore on empty cages for animals that are not yet part of the zoo.

"This kind of expenditure defies logic and fiscal prudence. It would have been a judicious move to construct these enclosures once the animals were confirmed for procurement. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's decision to invest heavily in enclosures without a clear plan for acquiring the animals is clearly an inappropriate use of public funds," the group said, as reported by NDTV.

However, a BMC official told The Hindustan Times (HT) that the enclosures had been built in anticipation of the new arrivals and that getting new animals takes time. He added that a deal to exchange zebras for lions from a zoo in Germany has been stuck "for years".

Another official told News18 that it made more sense to construct enclosures now as prices may rise in future. He added that the zoo would have to "spend almost double the cost" because of the high price of stainless steel, concrete and other materials.

They also added that the enclosures were built after required approval from the authorities.