Zoo body seeks clarifications on penguin’s death from BMC

The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has written to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on the issue of the death of the female Humboldt penguin in Veermata Jijamabai Udyan (VJBU). This letter was sent after Humane Society International (HIS), a non-profit animal protection organisation, wrote a letter to Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) about the issue on October 26. The BMC has been asked to clarify the following doubts on an urgent basis: Whether Coex Aquarium in South Korea is registered by the CITES as a captive breeding facility and whether the BMC has secured all requisite import documents; whether the sustainability and appropriateness for housing the penguins at the VJBU was done following norms prescribed by CITES and if the death of the female penguin due to septicaemia while in quarantine points to poor standards of care taken by the VJBU authorities.

The letter also referred to the standards prescribed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for captive keeping of Humboldt penguins, and stated that it would be inhumane and irresponsible to continue keeping the rest of the penguins at VJBU.