Byculla zoo is now left with seven penguins, but they are a ‘homesick’ lot. The enclosure that is to be their final home is not ready yet, so the birds have spent the last three months cooped up in a tiny quarantine area that is 80% smaller
Byculla zoo is now left with seven penguins, but they are a ‘homesick’ lot. The enclosure that is to be their final home is not ready yet, so the birds have spent the last three months cooped up in a tiny quarantine area that is 80% smaller. Mumbai corporators are now alleging that such stressful conditions may have led to the death of the female penguin, Dory.
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The zoo and BMC have been under criticism ever since they flew in eight Humboldt penguins from Seoul. Since the death of the 1.5-year-old penguin on Sunday, the zoo has come under even more fire. Yesterday, this paper highlighted how the zoo does not appear to have a single expert on Humboldt penguins.
In danger?
Now, the city’s corporators demand that the surviving penguins be sent back to Seoul. Byculla zoo has spent over Rs 19 crore to build a 1,500-sq-ft enclosure, but there are fears that the creatures might not survive long enough for the move.
Since their arrival in July, the birds have been kept in the quarantine area, measuring just 250 sq ft — one-sixth the size of the final enclosure. As recently as Monday, zoo director Dr Sanjay Tripathi admitted that the enclosure might not be ready before the end of November.
Samajwadi Party group leader Rais Shaikh alleged that the prolonged stay in quarantine may have weakened the female penguin, Dory, who died on October 23, after battling an intestinal infection for five days.
“One of the doctors handling the penguins told me that prolonged quarantine leads to stress and reduces immunity. The birds have been in quarantine for more than three months now,” he said, adding, “The exhibit work is going to take at least another month to finish. If the authorities continue to keep the remaining penguins in quarantine, it will increase the stress on them. They should have first completed building the exhibit and then brought the penguins to the city.”
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The MNS, Congress, NCP, and Samajwadi Party have targeted the Shiv Sena for pushing the authorities to bring the penguins to the city without proper arrangements. MNS group leader Sandeep Deshpande said, “I am not against the project, but the BMC should make proper arrangements to take care of the animals. Till that time, they should be sent back to where they came from.”
New contractor?
Sena leader Trushna Vishwasrao admitted: “We will change the contractor, since he has not done enough to complete the work on time. The penguin project is happening for the first time in our country, and we all should appreciate it.”
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