The eight humboldt penguins, the latest addition to the list of attractions at the Byculla Zoo, are leaving zoo authorities as well as senior civic officials in a tricky situation.
For, it's not just the daily visitors to the zoo who are vying to get a glimpse of these flightless seabirds from a zoo from Seoul in South Korea. And the list includes who's who in the city, while some have approached with VIP recommendations.
Officials, however, seem to be upright at least this time and swear that they cannot afford to allow anyone inside the quarantine zone. “Not even under the guise of inspecting the arrangements... We cannot mess up with safety of the birds as we are already facing a huge challenge of ensuring the survival of the birds,” said a source.
“It is difficult to honour the request as strict hygiene standards have to be maintained for the penguins, accustoming to an entirely new climate,” the source said adding “We cannot afford to take the risk of posing life threat to the birds.”
Civic officials refused to name the VIPs who have made recommendations for their family members and friends. But, they disclosed that the list includes senior and heavy-weight politicians from Mumbai and satellite towns among others.
Officials are having a hard time explaining tourists, some coming from far off along with children, that the penguins are yet not being displayed for public.
“When told that the penguins are kept in quarantine and cannot be viewed, some pleaded with the zoo staff that they be allowed to take a look from a distance,” said a zoo official adding that they had to be stern to make some of them see sense.
In fact, one of the guards disclosed that a family from Dahanu were even willing to pay 'extra' if they were granted permission to see the penguins. “They had read about the penguins in the newspapers, and the two kids in the group were excited,” said the guard adding that there should ideally be a board outside – informing people that penguins are still not ready for the public viewing – to avoid chaos.
Dr Sanjay Tripathi, director of the zoo affirmed that the number of visitors to the zoo has gone up. “Normally, around this time of the year, that too on a weekday not many people come visiting. Many are here in the hope that they will be able to see the penguins. We won't be surprised if we encounter a huge crowd this weekend,” he said.
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