The Mumbai Chapter organised its annual picnic on Friday, 6th January 2023 at Rani Baug, Byculla. 64 participants including PwMS and their families met for the fun day out.
Rani Baug also known as Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan is a zoo and garden covering 53 acres of land situated at Byculla, in the heart of Mumbai City. It is the oldest public garden in Mumbai with varied flora and fauna.
It was a perfect day to visit the zoo. The attendees took in the sights of various animals in awe and wonder. Some animals that delighted everyone were elephants, tigers, black bears, pythons, cobras, deer, monkeys & baboons.
Next, the group took a tour of the ‘Paradise of Birds’ with beautiful birds like Malabar pied Hornbill, Alexandrine Parakeet, Golden Pheasant, Red-breasted Parakeet, Rose-ringed Parakeet, Military Macaw, African Grey Parrot, White & Grey Cockatiel, Indian Peafowl etc.
The latest and very interesting addition to the zoo was the penguin enclosure that is the home for 13 penguins brought in from Seoul, South Korea.
The Zoo aviary offered a walkthrough among the noisy aquatic birds on the campus. Everyone walked on the wooden bridge, interacted with the birds, and also clicked pictures of the flying beauties. Pelicans, flamingos and albino crows, cranes, herons and storks were among the other species in this aviary made for aquatic birds.
A sumptuous lunch was served and enjoyed by everyone. The group also celebrated Bhakti Jadhav, PwMS’ birthday with wishes of luck and good health.
Dr Dev, Curator of the Zoo personally guided the group through the place and also brought the animals closer to the visitor’s arena so that everybody could capture good selfies and photos. Dr Dev waived the entry fees also which was a big help to MSSI. The chapter is grateful to Dr Dev for his support, making the picnic successful & also thankful to Mr Kais, who provided lunch at concessional rates.
It was a great day for all the attendees with lots of laughter, pictures, and discussions which strengthened the bond between all.
