Penguin parents mourn empty nest, Flipper harder hit than Mr Molt

The parents of India's first Humboldt penguin, Mr Molt and Flipper, are in mourning over their suddenly empty nest. Their baby, born on Independence Day, died barely a week after its birth.

Byculla Zoo was unusually quiet on an otherwise buzzing Saturday, with visitors darting commiserating glances at the penguin enclosure.

A zoo official said the penguins appeared desolate and found in a secluded spot of the enclosure. "They are stressed by their baby's death. Even as the baby penguin was under treatment, the couple diligently came to perform the parental task of feeding it their fish slurry," said an attendant on condition of anonymity.

Dr Madhumita Kale, head veterinarian of the zoo and in-charge of the penguin enclosure, said the pair did not move from their nest the entire day. "Although the early death of offspring is a natural occurrence in penguins, it is the first time for this pair. We have tried to distract them into mingling with other penguins to help them gradually move on," Dr Kale said.

Flipper seemed to be taking the loss of her baby harder than Mr Molt, Dr Kale said. "The father penguin was all right but the mother is taking time to recover. Mr Molt seems to have developed an extra-protective attitude towards Flipper. Eventually they will move on and as the mating season arrives, hopefully, they will procreate again."

The zoo authorities said they did everything possible for the baby penguin. "The environment in the enclosure was conducive to the baby, since it had shown positive signs in the first couple of days. It was only in the last two days that its health deteriorated," said the attendant.

However, the other penguins in the enclosure seem to be unaware of the loss and were happily at play in the pool.

Experts have said it was a foolish idea to bring them into captivity, to begin with. "They are not used to living in a closed space. This enclosure is only a cold cage. The chances of infection in a closed environment are always high. Let's just accept that our civic body doesn't have adequate facilities yet. It is the second death," said Dr Drona Patil, senior veterinarian, Dinshaw Petit Hospital for Animals.