The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has found itself in the dock over the death of an imported female penguin at its Byculla Zoo, with the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) seeking a clarification on whether it had complied with requisite import formalities for securing eight exotic birds from Seoul and questioning the very suitability of housing Humboldt penguins at the civic zoo here.
In a notice issued to the BMC Commissioner, CZA’s member-secretary Dr DN Singh raised serious doubts about the care taken by the Byculla Zoo authorities to look after the penguin which died while in quarantine. He also sought the copy of a detailed report on the post-mortem of the penguin within seven days.
The penguin, which was among the eight exotic birds that had been procured from the COEX Aquarium in Seoul in July this year, had died at the Byculla Zoo in south Mumbai on October 23, following an illness. Acting on a representation made by Humane Society International, (HSI), the CZA sought clarification from the BMC on the doubts expressed by HSI on whether the Seoul-based COEX Aquarium — from where the civic zoo had acquired the eight Humboldt penguins – was registered as a captive breeding centre. The apex zoo body also wanted to know from the BMC if had secured the requisite import certification.
Alluding to reports that the penguin had died due to Septicemia, the CZA member-secretary stated in his notice that the circumstances leading to the exotic bird’s untimely death pointed to the “poor standards of the
care” taken by the Byculla Zoo. The CZA also questioned the “suitability and appropriateness” for housing the penguins at the Byculla Zoo.
Referring to the standards prescribed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for captive keeping of Humboldt penguins, the CZO alluded to a serious issue flagged by the HSI India that “continued keeping rest of the seven penguins at the VJB Udyan and Zoo will inhumane and irresponsible”.
Apart from seeking a post-mortem report of the deceased penguin, the CZO also sought a status report on the issues raised by the HSI India in its representation to the CITIES Management Authority of India.
It may be recalled that the female penguin named “Dory” ---which had on October 18 shown symptoms of dullness, inappetance, greenish stools and laboured breathing and was diagnosed with Gram negative bacteria – had succumbed due to some illness on October 23.
Though the zoo authorities had started “appropriate treatment” on the ailing exotic bird in consultations with international veterinary doctors experienced in treating penguins on the following day, the exotic bird did not respond to the treatment. “A blood test conducted on the ailing penguin showed higher liver values,” the zoo official had said.
The professors of Department of Pathology, Mumbai Veterinary College, had conducted a post-mortem on the deceased Penguin on the afternoon of October 23. Though they have received the post-mortem report, the Zoo authorities have so far not made public the exact cause of the death female penguin.
The VJB zoo authorities have gone on record saying that the other seven Humboldt penguins – three male and f0ur female – are “healthy” and “under constant” observation.
Ahead of the arrival of eight penguins in the last week of July this year, the Zoo authorities had made arrangements to quarantine the exotic birds in a special enclosure for at least the next 90 days – a period required for acclimatizing them to Indian conditions and the change of location. The birds were to remain in the controlled temperature range for three months, a period that is to end later this week.
The death of a penguin not only came as a setback for the BMC zoo authorities who had been planning to exhibit Humboldt penguins at an air-conditioned exhibition hall at the VJB Zoo from November this year, but it has also raised serious doubts about the standards of the quarantine facility at the zoo.