The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be taking all possible steps to ensure that the six Humboldt penguins, which it will procure in a few months, survive and breed in the city zoo. More than 20 years ago, Kangaroos which were brought to the zoo died because of a viral infection.
The zoo authorities informed that adequate measures will also be taken to encourage their breeding. Unlike previous instances, where BMC had taken steps to curb the breeding of spotted deer owing to lack of proper enclosures, conditions would be created to encourage breeding of the penguins, the authorities added.
"The designing of separate enclosures for animals and birds is on. Tenders worth Rs70 crore would be floated for constructing these enclosures. The enclosure for penguins will accommodate at least 20 of them," said Anil Anjankar, director of the zoo.
He added, "Once they become more than 20, we might decide on exchanging them with other zoos, for other birds or animals."
The civic body will be sending two veterinarians and two animal keepers to Singapore and Bangkok in two separate batches in November for training, so that they are better equipped to look after the penguins, when the birds arrive at the zoo in December.
"The cost for that is currently in the process of being worked out," a zoo official said.
This apart, the civic body will spend Rs19 crore to appoint an agency for the maintenance of the penguins, which will take care of the temperature control of the enclosed area where the birds would be kept as also their life support system.
The standing committee had recently passed the proposal of buying the flightless birds at a cost of Rs2.40 crore, as part of the redevelopment plan of the zoo, which has been budgeted at Rs150 crore. The move had received mixed response from animal activists, who raised doubts over their survival.
However, zoo officials maintained they had survived very well in Singapore which has a climate similar to Mumbai. "So, they should be able to acclimatise here easily," an official said.
Humboldt penguin facts
Humboldt penguins thrive on the desert coast of Peru and Chile. A 100 sq m temperature-controlled glass enclosure will be built for them at the Byculla zoo and it will be filled with half water, half sand and stones. A temperature of 20 to 22 degrees Celsius will be maintained inside the enclosure.
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