MUMBAI: The arrival of Humboldt penguins at Byculla zoo inched closer with the municipal corporation setting aside Rs 2.40 crore to buy the flightless birds and another Rs 19 crore for their maintenance. The news was, however, greeted with scepticism, rather than enthusiasm, by wildlife experts who pointed to the authorities' dismal track record at upkeep of zoo animals in the city.

Three pairs of male and female penguins will be brought from Th8ailand around December as part of the revamp plan for Jijamata Udyan . The budget for their purchase and care for five years was cleared by the BMC standing committee on Wednesday. Civic officials maintained that sin8ce the birds are being brought from southeast As8ia, where the climate is not too dissimilar, they should find it easy to acclimatise here.

Humboldt penguins are natives of the desert coast of Peru and Chile in South America. The birds get their names from the narrow flow of cool water in the ocean, running north fr8om Antarctica, in which they spend most of their time.

Anish Andheria, president of the Wildlife Conservation Trust, said Humboldt penguins were a good choice for the zoo but, given its history, their upkeep was a matter of concern. "Being a charismatic species, it is likely that they will attract large crowds. But then, the zoo has been unable in the past to keep wild animals. How well the penguins do here in the long run is therefore a matter of worry."

Animal activist Ambika Hiranandani called the civic body's move an unnecessary mimicking of the west's mistakes. "It is a western concept to bring animals from elsewhere and put them in a zoo. There is no need to get such birds that are not native to us. Today, the internet tells you everything possible about them. Why then remove the birds from their habitat and coop them up here?" Hiranandani said.

Zoo officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, insisted that the penguins will be well looked after. A 100 sq m temperature-controlled glass enclosure will be built for them and filled half with water and half with sand and stones. "Four hundred colourful fish of 67 species will be placed in the water," said an official, adding that 20-22 degree Celsius temperature will maintained in the enclosure.

The BMC will send two officers and two keepers to Singapore and Bangkok for a week for training in their zoos. Still, the birds' care remained an issue, with some corporators raising the subject on Wednesday. "Will these birds find Mumbai's climate suitable? What will the BMC do to provide proper infrastructure for their survival?" asked Asif Zakeria.

