Humboldt penguins set to come to Byculla zoo

Written by Alison Saldanha | Mumbai | August 21, 2014

Three pairs of the aquatic flightless birds are expected to arrive in Mumbai before the end of the current financial year. The BMC Wednesday finally approved a Rs 2.57-crore proposal to acquire Humboldt penguins, a promise made by the the Shiv Sena during the 2012 civic elections. Three pairs of the aquatic flightless birds are expected to arrive in Mumbai before the end of the current financial year.

The Humboldt penguin is a South American species that breeds in coastal Peru and Chile. It is named after the cold water current it swims in, which itself is named after German explorer Alexander von Humboldt.

The acquisition is part of the BMC’s larger masterplan for revamp of the Byculla Zoo at a cost of Rs 440 crore. Construction of the penguin’s enclosure is already under way for which the BMC will spend Rs 19 crore, which includes maintenance costs for a period of five years for both the space and the general conservation of the species. The budget includes the expenditure for providing nutritious fish and other foods for the penguins.

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