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Mumbai: Dory the penguin dies; heat on zoo and BMC

While activists demanded a detailed probe into the incident and threatened a series of protests

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The decision to bring eight humboldt penguins to the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale (VJB) Zoo in Byculla as an attraction came under fire once again after a young female penguin, nicknamed Dory, died on Sunday. Animal activists in Mumbai turned the heat not only on the zoo authorities but the Shiv Sena-led Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as well.

While activists demanded a detailed probe into the incident and threatened a series of protests, zoo officials claimed everything possible was done to save the bird that had been sick since October 18.

According to zoo officials, the one-and-a-half-year-old female, weighing around 3kg, was showing symptoms of dullness, loss of appetite, and laboured breathing, and had been passing green stool since October 18.

"The veterinarian in-charge of the penguin facility, who was appointed by the contractor, gave immediate medical attention to the penguin. The stool samples were taken for culture and sensitivity tests. They showed the presence of gram negative bacteria, which are sensitive to drug enrofloxacin," said a zoo official.

The treatment was initiated on the first day itself and the case was also discussed with an exotic bird specialist who had experience in treating penguins. "Its blood report analysis, carried out on October 19, showed elevated liver values, after which treatment was started accordingly. The bird, however, did not show any significant improvement," said officials.

On October 22, diagnostic tests such as X-Ray and ultrasonography were conducted and more exotic bird specialists were consulted, but nothing specific turned up.

"The penguin stopped responding to treatment and succumbed to the illness on October 23 at 8.17am. Everything possible was done by the team, which was in the zoo round the clock," said Dr Sanjay Tripathi, Director of the zoo, who informed that a post mortem was conducted by professors of the Department of Pathology, Mumbai Veterinary College. The exact cause of death will be known once the detailed report arrives.

The BMC officials said the rest of the seven penguins, brought to Mumbai from the Coex Aquarium in Seoul on July 26, were being kept in quarantine and were healthy.

Meanwhile, several animal activists took to the social media to vent their anger against the Byculla zoo and the Shiv Sena. "We must press for the closure of the zoo, which was recently sent a notice by the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) of India. If a penguin died under such watchful eyes, one can imagine the condition of other animals," said animal activist Anand Shiva.

Sunish Subramanian, Secretary, PAWS-Mumbai, said he will write a letter to the CZA as well as the Environment Ministry, urging them to send the remaining penguins back to Seoul. "Byculla zoo is in the worst condition. No animal should be kept there till they complete their so-called makeover, which has been going on for decades," he said.

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