Maharashtra: Veterinarians keep a close eye on seven penguins at Byculla zoo

There are three veterinarians who take care of the penguins throughout the day. While two of them feed them and clean the enclosure in the day time, one of them stays back at night to keep a watch on them. Madhumita Kale, the veterinarian in charge of the seven Humboldt penguins, has been taking care of the flightless birds since they landed in the city on July 26. Apart from monitoring the temperature, she also keeps a watch on the food intake, which is measured before being fed to the penguins.

She starts her day by feeding the penguins at 8.30 am and then again at 4 pm. “Each penguin consumes around 700 grams of fish per day, which we divide over two meals. We measure the food to ensure the penguins don’t overeat,” she said.

Cleaning the quarantine area where the penguins are kept are next on her checklist. “I clean the vacuum pool and remove the accumulated sludge after which I clean the pool with pressure hoses,” she said. Kale added that there are three foot-baths filled with disinfectant fluid for people who enter the quarantine area, which have to be cleaned and the fluid replaced.

After their second meal, the penguins begin to rest and the lights are gradually switched off. “We switch off some of the lights at first and by 7 pm we turn all the lights off. We continue to monitor their movements through night-vision cameras,” she said.

Despite the death of one of the members, Kale said the penguins were not showing any signs of distress and were eating well. The penguins cumulatively consume 7-8 kg fish. They are fed a variety of fish, including mackerel, anchovies, sardines, bombay duck, eel and herring depending on availability.

The enclosure for the captive-bred penguins spreads out over 1,550 sqft, which will include air cooling devices to keep the temperature at 4-24 degrees and insulating material to ensure the heat doesn’t escape. Apart from the quarantine section where the penguins are currently being kept, the enclosure will have a separate kitchen area.