Byculla Zoo's crocodile and gharial exhibit lets visitors view the new additions in their habitat

The lower deck has glass enclosures that offer a view of the pond that’s home to gharials like this one; (top) Crocodile statues are a curious touch to the stone cave interiors and the bright blue floor offers the illusion of walking on water. Pics/Shadab Khan

It's 10 AM on a weekday morning and the flyover outside Byculla's Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan is packed with motorists zipping to work. Inside, the verdant 50-acre spread is buzzing with noise of another kind: kids squealing with joy on seeing a crocodile underwater. The latest addition to the zoological gardens, the crocodile and gharial section, has a viewing gallery spread across 3,500 sq. ft. Split into an upper and lower deck, it is said to be modelled on international standards.

The lower deck is a cave-like structure with glass enclosures that open into the depths of the artificial pond home to four crocodiles and two gharials. It simulates a termite-ridden cave, minus the musty smell or dripping water. The clear of the fountain makes the April heat a shade milder. The epoxy flooring is bright blue, and for a moment, we feel like we are up to our ankles in cool waters.

"I think it's a statue," a child exclaims, his nose pressed to the glass. A gharial lies unmoving on the pebbled floor of the tank. The parents look confused too, but then quickly point out that it's just the gharial's natural state of inertia. We look through the cloudy glass, wishing it were clearer and imagine ourselves floating in calm waters, much like the relaxed reptile. From the upper deck, visitors can peer down into the pond, catching a glimpse of the crocs. We spot one with its snout above the surface, camouflaged perfectly into the green and blue around it. Oblivious to the chatter around, it swims away.

The exhibit, says Dr Abhishek Satam, Byculla zoo's biologist and public relations officer, is inspired by the Ganga and Chambal rivers. "Our aim was to send a message about protecting our rivers and the life they support." Both the Ganga and the Chambal are home to hundreds of crocodiles and gharials. Similar in the reptilian aspect of their scaly bodies, gharials have angular, sharp snouts whose lengths bely their fragility, while crocodiles have broader snouts and can open their jaws wide. The other significant difference is that gharials move on dry land by sliding using their belly; crocodiles use their legs to walk.

Tushar Sawant, who worked on the execution of the exhibit, told mid-day that it was challenging to build on the marshy land that forms the site of the exhibit. "There was a lake here which was in a poor condition. We emptied out the water and reconstructed the area," he says, adding that it took eight months to set up. It's an effort worth supporting.

WHEN: 9.30 AM to 6 PM (Wednesday closed)
WHERE: Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo, Byculla East
PRICE: Rs 50 (adults), Rs 25 (kids)