Penguin parents’ life back to daily routine at Byculla Zoo

Two days after the death of the first India-born Humboldt penguin, its parents Mr Molt and Flipper are getting back to their routine life. According to zoo authorities, their diet drastically improved on Saturday.

Dr Sanjay Tripathi, director of the Veermata Jijabai Bhosle Udyan-Byculla Zoo, said, “The parents are getting back to normal and accepting their daily routine. We fed them food on Saturday afternoon and they finished an entire meal.”

Only 10 days after its birth on August 15, the baby Humboldt penguin died, due to birth complications, on Wednesday. The parents were distressed until Friday, but became considerably calm on Saturday, according to Madhumita Kale, the doctor who has been attending to the penguins.

Tripathi said Flipper refused to accept her baby’s death on the first day. She appeared confused about where her baby had gone, but has shown improvement.

Meanwhile, Kale observed that the parents are physically healthy, but mentally stressed. “They need to be distracted all the time to help keep their minds off the death of their baby.”

The zoo introduced games such as playing ball, into their routine. Officers also introduced activities like playing with laser lights and games in the water.

First Published: Aug 26, 2018 03:24 IST