Mumbai's Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, popularly known as Byculla Zoo, is home to 12 Humboldt penguins brought to India from Seoul in South Korea. Madhumita Kale, Veterinary doctor at Byculla Zoo, reveals that their population might rise with controlled breeding. On World Penguin Day 2023, we spoke to Dr Kale to delve deeper into the artificially-designed and closely-monitored enclosure for Penguins in Mumbai
Updated On: 2023-04-25 04:14 PM IST
Compiled by : Ainie Rizvi
In 2016, three male and four female penguins were brought from Seoul and inducted into the Mumbai zoo. Under constant care and monitored breeding, the penguin population is expected to go up this year. Photo Courtesy: Madhumita Kale
Since April 2022, two males and one female chick have taken birth at the zoo facility. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation stated in a release that it christened the male chicks Flash and Bingo, while the female chick was named Alexa. Photo Courtesy: Madhumita Kale
Veterinary doctor Madhumita Kale currently heads a team of eight members, including doctors and zookeepers, who look after the penguins round the clock, in three shifts of eight hours each. Photo Courtesy: Madhumita Kale
Penguins at the Mumbai zoo are being fed a diet of Bombay duck, mackerel, eel, and ladyfish. They are fed twice a day, once in the morning and the evening. Each penguin consumes around 700-800 gm of fish daily. Photo Courtesy: Madhumita Kale
Ever since the penguins arrived at the Byculla Zoo facility, they have been kept in a quarantine environment with temperatures regulated between 16-18 degrees Celsius. This prevents any weather turmoil from affecting the flightless birds. Photo Courtesy: Madhumita Kale
Going by the names of Oreo, Oscar, Donald, Daisy, and more, doctors at the facility can identify just by seeing them. For visitors and new team members, the flippers of penguins have been tagged with different colour codes for better identification. Photo Courtesy: Madhumita Kale