Updated On: 08 January, 2025 10:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Dipti Singh
Her passing ends decades of elephant presence at the historic Jijamata Udyan. The story of elephants at Byculla stretches back several decades. Five elephants initially lived at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, three female elephants named Radha, Laxmi, and Anarkali, a male elephant that was later transferred to Thiruvananthapuram

Mahouts bathe Anarkali on April 8 as temperatures soared in the city. File Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Byculla lost its last elephant when the 59-year-old Anarkali passed away on November 10. With her death, there will be no more elephants at the iconic Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, in compliance with a central government ban on the intake and housing of elephants. “Due to central government regulations, we cannot bring another elephant here,” confirmed an official from the administration. As part of the ’s expansion plans, the enclosure that housed Anarkali will be repurposed for another species.