The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to expand the penguin enclosures at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Botanical Udyan and Zoo, or Byculla Zoo, by 200 square feet, making space to accommodate 40 penguins. At present, there are 21 penguins at the Byculla Zoo, 14 of which were born in Mumbai over the past nine years, and eight were brought from South Korea in 2016, one of which died in the enclosure. 

At present, the oldest Penguin at Byculla Zoo is a female named Flipper, 12 years old. She was 3 years old when she first arrived in Mumbai in 2016. Her partner is Molt, who is 10 years old. Together, the couple have parented four penguin babies in nine years. With an increase in the number of penguins, it has become pertinent for civic authorities to ensure a larger space for them. At present, the penguins are housed in a space of approximately 2000 square metres.

A senior BMC official told mid-day, “Nine years ago, Mumbai had seven penguins. We have managed to provide a conducive atmosphere for them at Byculla Zoo. If penguins are happy and content, they breed faster. There are international reports from across the world, where zoos are struggling to breed penguins that are housed in controlled environments. However, in the case of Mumbai, this has happened with no additional effort on our part. Fourteen new babies were born at Byculla Zoo in the past nine years. We must be doing something right. So we want to keep up with our efforts and ensure our animals feel safe and cared for. With this thought, we have decided to extend the penguin enclosure at our zoo.”