Asiatic lions to soon get a new home at Katraj Zoo

The Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park and Wildlife Research Centre, Katraj, will soon have an enclosure ready to house two Asiatic lions, Tejas and Subhi.

The enclosure is being constructed since last year and will be ready in two months, said officials.

“The construction of the enclosure is ongoing and will be ready in two months. It is spread over 2,500 sq. metres and is in front of the elephant enclosure, which is also one of the biggest attractions of the zoo. The new enclosure is nature immersive and conducive to the animal’s natural habitat,” said Rajkumar Jadhav, zoo director.

The pair of Asiatic lions were brought to Pune from the Sakkarbaug zoo in 2017 as part of an animal exchange programme, for which the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) as per instructions from the Central Zoo Authority, had approved the ₹3.36 crore for the trench that is being constructed around the enclosure that holds the lions.

“The lions will now have their own enclosure, for they have been sharing space with white tigers and the Royal Bengal tigers,” said Jadhav.

The purebred Asiatic Lions, now around 11 years old, was brought to the city from Junagadh, the only place that breeds this species. The zoo had offered the Junagadh facility a variety of birds in exchange. It took three to bring them to the city.