MNS activists protest shifting of Shiva the Rhino

Mumbai, Aug 21 (UNI) The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists today staged a protest against the shifting of Shiva, a rhinocerous belonging to Veer Jijamata Zoo at Byculla, in South Central Mumbai to a zoo in Ranchi, Jharkhand.

MNS activists, led by District president Sanjay Naik, alleged that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to sell the vacant land in the zoo to the builder lobby because of which it has decided to sell or give away the bigger animals to other zoos in the country.

While speaking to the media, Additional Municipal Commissioner R A Rajiv refuted the charges, saying ''We are in the process of making a zoo in line of the zoos in Malaysia and Singapore and are working in that direction.'' ''The bigger animals will be the attraction in such a zoo and the question of selling them or any land does not arises,'' he added The BMC has a proposal of around Rs 300 crore for beautifying the present zoo and the same has been sent to the Central government for clearance by the municipal zoo authorities.

The civic body also has a proposal to start a night safari among the added attractions in the zoo.

UNI