With temperatures seeming to be on a downward spiral owing to the blissful monsoons, Mumbai’s iconic Veermata Jijabai Udyan, rather the Ranibaugh in Byculla welcomed in eight cute Humboldt penguins from Latin American nations of Peru and Chile.
The webbed-feet creatures arrived in style, out of which three were males and the other five females. The zoo which is run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), shall be thrown open for the local public in a span of the next three to four months, before which it needs to undergo certain renovation to be habitable for the species.
“Mumbaikars will get to see them only by November as the birds need to acclimatise here. The birds have been kept in a specially designed 1700 sq ft air conditioning chamber and special attention and consideration will be given to understand their biological needs and behavioural patterns,” a senior BMC official stated in his press release, however chose not to divulge major details.
If sources are to be believed, the newly arrived guests range in the age group of one to three years, weighing almost the same in kilograms.
The South African birds shall be fed about a kilogram of special fish on a daily basis, along with a special team of veterinary doctors and managerial staff to cater to all their needs. This, though has ushered a sense of happiness among Mumbaikars, it has simultaneously drawn its share of flak by animal activists who believe that the city is just inefficient to house these beauties.
“I don’t think it is a right move. I oppose the idea of keeping animals in captivity. And keeping penguins in
captivity by transporting them from other countries is completely an avoidable exercise,” wildlife expert Debi Goenka remarked in his comment on the same.
Source and picture(s): Various Agencies.
Tags: penguins at Mumbai zoo
