Ever since their arrival at Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan, better known as Byculla Zoo, in 2016, the Humboldt penguins have been the talk of the town. This time around, the South American species is in the news because the family of seven is expecting a new addition next week.
Like all penguins, Humboldt penguins are monogamous and mate for life. Recently, two penguins from the group at Byculla Zoo, Molt (male) and Flipper (female), found partners in each other, which resulted in four-and-a-half-year-old Flipper laying an egg. The egg is due to hatch on August 15, and the little one will be the first penguin born in the country.
Over her forty-day incubation period, Flipper seems to have become almost obsessively attached to her egg, sitting on it for up to 48 hours at a stretch. Meanwhile, Molt is being an equally protective guardian, not allowing anyone to get close to the nest.
Interestingly, Molt is the youngest in the group, and Flipper is the oldest. But as they say, love knows no boundaries. The two managed to get some time away from the public eye in one of the small caves in their enclosure. And when Flipper started putting on weight back in July, little did the zoo vets know that it was because she was preparing to lay an egg.
As soon as they realised that an egg had been laid, they raised the temperature of the enclosure from 14 degrees to 16 degrees Celsius. They also trained the expectant couple to get into a feeding routine by dimming and brightening the lights.
Molt collected shells and pebbles to build a nest for Flipper and the egg. And since the family moved in, they’ve been keeping everyone else at bay. Even the zoo officials have decided to grant them their privacy and not interfere with their parenting process. In fact, they say that the couple has chosen the ideal place to build their nest.
Though penguins can’t express themselves verbally, they do communicate their love and affection in other ways. The authorities say that they always see Molt and Flipper together, and the pair is the oddest of the bunch!
The other penguins at the zoo are females Daizy, Popeye and Bubble, and males, Donald and Olive. They’ve all paired up except for Bubble, who’s still waiting for her Mr. Right. Maybe she’ll find her match in the colony’s new member.
MT22
