2 penguin chicks born in Mumbai zoo in last 4 months: Mayor

The Congress criticised the ruling Shiv Sena over the tender, while the BMC claimed the birds had helped increase the zoo's revenue

In what comes as great news, two Humboldt penguin chicks were born in the Mumbai Zoo.

The Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo or the Mumbai Zoo is one of the oldest zoos in India. Spread over 50 acres, it is popularly known as Byculla Zoo or Rani Baug.

Last week, a controversy erupted over the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) floating of a Rs 15.26-crore tender for the upkeep of the penguins in the enclosure at the zoo for three years.

Recently, political parties, including BJP, Congress and Samajwadi Party (SP), had cornered the Shiv Sena-ruled BMC over the tender.

In the wake of the controversy, Mumbai mayor Kishori Pednekar chose to announce that two new penguins have been born in the zoo. “We have two new penguins now,” she said.

A male penguin chick, named Oreo, was born to Humboldt penguins Donald and Daisy on May 1 this year and is four months old now.

Another penguin chick was born to Flipper, the oldest female among the Humboldts, and Mr Molt, the youngest male in the zoo, on August 19. The baby penguin is stable and under the observation of zoo authorities.

Besides the two newborn chicks, the zoo currently has seven adult penguins -- three males and four females.

Eight Humboldt penguins -- Donald, Daisy, Popeye, Olive, Flipper, Bubble, Mr Molt and Dory --- were brought here from Seoul in South Korea, on July 26, 2016.

However, Dory could not survive and died on October 23, 2016, because of a bacterial infection.

A baby penguin born to Mr Molt and Flipper, in August 2018 had died a week after birth.

“The existing pen has enough space to facilitate as many as 25 penguins,'' Mumbai Zoo director Dr Sanjay Tripathi said.

The Humboldt penguin (Spheniscus humboldti) (also termed Chilean penguin, or patranca) is a South American penguin that breeds in coastal Chile and Peru. Its nearest relatives are the African penguin, the Magellanic penguin and the Galápagos penguin.

The penguin is named after the cold water current it swims in, which is itself named after Alexander von Humboldt, an explorer. Humboldt penguins are medium-sized penguins, growing to 56–70 cm (22–28 in) long and a weight of 3.6-5.9 kg (8-13 lbs).

The Mumbai Zoo has a special enclosure -- is spread across 1,700 sq ft -- where temperature ranges of 16 to 18 degrees C would be maintained and the penguins would feed on fish including the Indian mackerels.

Water quality is monitored at regular intervals and there are several support systems that have been created.

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