The `Lion Safari’ at Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai will get a new pair of lions from Gujarat’s Sakkarbaug Zoo by the end of November, Maharashtra forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said in the financial capital on Wednesday.
After the death of a 17-year-old lion last month, only one male lion is left at SGNP, he said.
“The lion safari at the national park was fetching good tourist footfall. With a new pair of lions, we are hopeful of receiving more visitors,” the minister said.
Sakkarbaug Zoo in Gujarat is a nodal facility in the country for lion breeding.
“There is a 12-hectare compound at the SGNP reserved for lions. The safari started in 1975-76, helping the park’s earnings to soar,” said the state forest minister.