Welcome, Humboldt Penguins! You are in Amchi Mumbai now

By the time you read this, the eight Humboldt penguins will have landed in Mumbai and probably will also be placed in a special quarantined area of Byculla zoo. However, don't rush to the zoo this weekend, for the civic authorities will allow viewing them only after a month or so.

BMC officials revealed on Monday that the penguins would be arriving from Coex Aquarium, Seoul in South Korea in the wee hours of Tuesday morning. Each penguin has cost BMC Rs 2.5 Crore.

"We have already readied a 200 sq feet quarantine area where these penguins will be kept for around one and half months as a normal procedure. It has all the required amenities for the penguins and they will be under constant observation," said a senior BMC official.

As per the procurement contract for the next three months the responsibility of these penguins will be with the hand holding agency, which has been appointed for the procurement.

BMC officials shared that the quarantine has been built keeping in mind the international regulations.

"The quarantine area is normally used for keeping a new or a sick penguin and hence the design is as per international approved standards. We won't be allowing any tourists to view them immediately. We are trying to ensure that they face least disturbances as they need to recover from the long travel as well as adjust to their new surroundings," a source said.