A female Humboldt penguin, which was among the eight exotic birds that had been procured from the COEX Aquarium in Seoul in July this year, died at the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)-run Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo at Byculla in south Mumbai on Sunday morning, following some illness.
The ailing penguin, which had on October 18 shown symptoms of dullness, inappetance, greenish stools and laboured breathing and was diagnosed with Gram negative bacteria, succumbed to “still-to-be-established” illness at 8.17 am on Sunday.
The deceased female green-blue exotic bird was among the eight Humboldt penguins–three males and five females–that the BMC had acquired from COEX Aquarium in Seoul on July 26 this year. As is required, the penguin had been kept along with seven other exotic birds in a quarantine facility at the zoo under temperatures ranging from 16 to 18 degrees C.
“On Tuesday last, a female penguin-weighing about 3 kg –was attended to by a veterinary doctor specialised in Penguin health management immediately after it showed symptoms of dullness, inappetance, greenish stools and laboured breathing. On the same day, a culture test of the stool samples of the ailing penguin showed the presence of Gram negative bacteria which was sensitive to drug Enrofloxacin, “a senior civic zoo official said.
Though the zoo authorities 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 said.
Following an expert opinion given by an exotic bird specialist, the Zoo authorities conducted diagnostic tests like X-ray and ultra-sonography were conducted on the ailing penguin on Saturday. However, no specific observations were noticed.
On Saturday evening, the zoo authorities slightly modified treatment based on the opinion of another avian specialist. “However, the bird did not respond to new treatment that involved administration of new medicines. The bird finally succumbed to illness on 8.17 am on Sunday,” the zoo official said.
The professors of Department of Pathology, Mumbai Veterinary College, conducted a post-mortem on the deceased Penguin later in the afternoon. “Any inference about the exact cause of death of the penguin will be known only after we receive a detailed post-mortem examination report,” the official said.
Meanwhile, the other seven Humboldt penguins – three male and f0ur female – are “healthy” and “under constant” observation.
Ahead of the arrival of eight penguins, 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 acclimatisaing 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 has come as a setback for the BMC zoo authorities who had been planning to exhibit Humboldt penguins at an air-conditioned exhibition hall at the Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Pranisangralay – known popularly as Rani Baug – from November this year.