Mumbai: The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in the coming year will house the state’s first ever cage museum in its premises. The museum will showcase cages used for various types of animals and the evolution of technology in the same. The museum will exhibit the first-ever cage made in the state in 1956 to the latest model, giving demonstration of its functioning along with all its details. The museum, which is to come up near the Nature Information Centre (NIC) within the park, will also display various types of camera traps.

The museum will have cages from all over the state. SGNP officials wrote to all national parks in the state and have started procuring old cages from them. These cages will be refurbished and brought back to working condition. Different types of cages will be on display in the museum, such as trap cages, transport cages and treatment cages. The public will learn how the cages function and how technology has made the functioning of cages easier and accurate in terms of giving correct information.

The man behind the concept of the museum, chief conservator of forest Ahmad Anwar, said, “Though we are yet to decide on the location of the museum, it will be located near the NIC. Sudhir Mungantiwar, the state forest minister, tweeted about it too.”

The latest models of cages have facilities for an automatic video message of the trapped animal, which is sent to the officer in charge the moment a target is trapped in the cage. This enables the officer concerned to know the location and cage number and also learn whether the animal trapped is the desired target or any other animal. “The latest cages are not only technologically advanced but also light in weight for better transportation while in need,” explained a forest official.  

According to a senior official of SGNP, three of the old cages will arrive at the park in the coming week, following which their renovation would commence. The museum will also display various types of camera traps that were used in the past and the ones now used that have latest technologies and facilities.