Strip baby penguins of English names, demand Indian nationalists
Leaders of the Right-wing Hindu nationalist party, led by Narendra Modi, the prime minister, said three-month-old Noddy, Tom and Pingu were born in the state of Maharashtra and should therefore have Marathi names.
'These chicks were born here, on our soil. They should reflect the Marathi identity. So why can't the penguins have a Marathi name?' Atul Shah, a BJP spokesman, told The Telegraph.
He said the party had suggested three alternative names to zoo authorities – Adu, Sanju and Teju – and added: 'It's a reasonable demand, and we are confident that they will accept it.'
Nitin Bankar, a local BJP leader, said he had written to authorities at the Byculla zoo where the penguins are kept at least twice a week since they were named in April.
This week, he led a protest outside the zoo, where demonstrators were seen holding penguin cutouts with red crosses over their disputed names.
Mr Bankar warned that the protests could continue and said he would try to have the zoo shut down if the chicks were not given Marathi names within 10 days.
Despite initial concerns that penguins would not survive India's heat, the birds have become a major attraction since the zoo acquired eight Humboldt penguins from South Korea in 2016.
Zoo authorities have received praise for successfully breeding penguin chicks, which have so far been given English names such as Flipper, Daisy, Bubble, Mr Molt and Dory.
The birds are monogamous and known for their lifelong pair bond with Mr Molt, the youngest male, and Flipper, the oldest female, becoming the zoo's most celebrated couple.
The penguins are kept within a climate-controlled 1,800 sq ft enclosure fitted with surveillance cameras, rocky terrain, synthetic ponds, and ice features.
Most other animals at the zoo have been given names of Indian origin.
The penguin controversy comes as political parties gear up for the upcoming municipal elections in Mumbai, which have often been fought over cultural identity issues.
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