First Humboldt penguin chick born in India dies prematurely at Mumbai zoo due to yolk sac retention, liver dysfunction

The first-ever Humboldt penguin, born in a Mumbai zoo **last week** , died two days ago, a zoo official said on Friday, 24 August. Hatched on 15 August, the penguin died on 22 August, Wednesday, shocking zoo authorities. An autopsy was performed by a three-member team of the Bombay Veterinary College, Parel, at the zoo hospital. The preliminary report revealed that the chick suffered from “new-born anomalies like yolk sac retention and liver dysfunction” resulting in its death. The Veermata Jijabai Bhonsale Udyan and zoo authorities said that parents of the chick – Mr Molt and Flipper – took good care of it after it was hatched, but it failed to survive. However, it is not clear why the development was kept under wraps by the **Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation** (BMC) for more than two days though the chick’s birth had generated huge enthusiasm among Mumbaikars. [caption id=“attachment_5042121” align=“alignnone” width=“1280”] The Humboldt penguin chick at the Mumbai zoo as on 16 August, 2018. Image credit: @ANI[/caption] After mating in captivity, the penguin pair Mr Molt and Flipper, finally delivered an egg in early July at the BMC’s VJBU, or Mumbai Zoo, proving a big morale-booster for the civic body which had come under heavy fire for importing the endangered **flightless birds** from South Korea. Eight Humboldt Penguins, three males, three females and two chicks – later named as Dory, Donald, Daisy, Popeye, Olive, Bubble, Flipper and Mr Molt – were imported here from Seoul’s COEX Aquarium on 26 July, 2016. However, one female, Dory could not survive and died on 23 October, 2016 following a bacterial infection during the period of acclimatisation. After Dory’s death, questions were raised on the wisdom of keeping these birds in hot Indian **climatic conditions** , especially since 2000, as they figure on the “Vulnerable” category in the **Red List** of International Union for Conservation of Nature, Switzerland. Humboldt penguins have a life-span of around 25 years.