Next time you go to the Byculla zoo and are caught teasing or misbehaving with the animals you could be fined more than usual.
With the increase in such incidents, the zoo authorities are drafting a proposal demanding an increase in the penalty.
At present, the fines range from Rs 20 to 100 depending on the nature of the offence. Henceforth, the mischief mongers could be made to pay up between Rs 100 and Rs 500 by way of penalty.
Since April, the zoo officials have collected a paltry Rs 9,260 as fines. What makes matters worse is that of the team of 25 staff members who roam the zoo premises, only one official is authorised to collect fines. And, the fined persons are not even evicted from the premises.
Within a couple of days, all 25 staff members of the zoo staff will be authorised to fine people who harass the animals and birds in the zoo, said Chandrashekhar Rokde, Deputy Municipal Commissioner (gardens and recreation).
The rules governing the fines were drafted in 1959-60 when a sum of Rs 100 was a lot of money then, Rokde said.
He said that his department was working on a proposal to increase the amount that offenders could be made to pay, so much so that it would serve as a suitable deterrent.
On any day more than 10,000 people visit the zoo and most of the people indulge in these kind of activities, say animal activists.
Rokde also said that a proposal was being drawn up to install closed-circuit television cameras all over the zoo with a monitoring desk in its control room, reasoning that if people knew they were being watched, they would be less likely to misbehave.