The penguins at Byculla's Veermata Jijabai Bhosale Udyan and Zoo seem to be adapting well to their new home.
In this heartwarming video, the penguins are seen playfully running around their enclosure, chasing a laser light.
In another video, a baby penguin, who is yet to be named, seems cosily nestled behind his parents, making a futile attempt to squawk.
Byculla Zoo's Humboldt penguins Molt and Flipper gave birth to the penguin in August. While another pair- Donald and Daisy, became parents in May, after giving birth to a male chick named Oreo.
In a press conference at the zoo, Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar s claimed the zoo's income significantly went up after the arrival of penguins at the civic-run facility in 2016.
She also said that the Rs 15.26 crore tender floated by the civic body for the upkeep of the birds at the facility, will continue till 2024.
Earlier in 2016, the BMC had procured eight Humboldt penguins (three males and five females) for Rs 2.5 crore.
Last week, a controversy erupted over the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) Rs 15.26 crore tender floated in August for the upkeep of the penguins in the enclosure at the zoo for three years.
The Congress criticised the ruling Shiv Sena over the tender, while the BMC claimed the birds had helped increase the zoo's revenue.
The civic body had also said it was trying to bring down the upkeep cost of the penguins' enclosure.
The facility currently has 7 adult penguins out of which two breeding pairs have successfully bred this year. They are kept inside a transparent enclosure that replicates their natural habitat.
In 2018, the BMC had appointed a contractor for maintaining the enclosure for 36 months that are supposed to get over by the end of September. As a result, the BMC had floated a fresh Rs 15.25 crore tender to appoint a consultant for maintaining the pen.
According to the zoo administration, the youngest 25-day-old chick is being looked after by its parents.
The chick's sex determination is yet to be done, a release from the zoo authorities said.
Recently, civic officials said the penguins were a major tourist attraction before the zoo was shut due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Eight penguins - three males and five females - were brought to the Byculla zoo from Coex Aquarium at Seoul in South Korea in 2016, and one of the birds later died.
Spread over 1,800 sq ft, the penguin enclosure at the zoo comprises a pool, an accommodation area, air handling units and a cooling system.
The country's first chick of the Humboldt penguins was born at the zoo on August 15, 2018, but it died after a few days.
Bringing the flightless birds to the zoo was a pet project of Yuva Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray, who currently heads the tourism ministry in the Maharashtra government.
(With inputs from agencies)
