"Why Not Marathi?" Huge Row Over Penguin Names At Mumbai's Byculla Zoo

The penguins at the Byculla Zoo have been in the headlines since they arrived in Mumbai in 2016. The penguins became available for public viewing from 2017 at the zoo and since then have become very popular among visitors to the zoo.

An idea initially pushed by Shiv Sena UBT leader and Worli MLA Aaditya Thackeray, these penguins became a subject of public debate from day one.

Seven years later, another round of politics has broken out over the naming of the penguins. BJP leaders say that since new penguins are born in Maharashtra, they should be given Marathi names so that Maharashtra's cultural identity and Marathi language are respected.

The controversy comes at a time when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are round the corner in Mumbai, and political parties are giving prominence to issues of identity and language.

What's In A Name?

In March 2025, eight penguins kept in Ranibagh gave birth to three chicks. The zoological museum administration named them Noddy, Tom and Pingu. This is what the BJP leaders are objecting to.

BJP leader from Byculla constituency Nilesh Bankar objected to this and sent two letters to the zoo administration.

According to the BJP leader, since Marathi has recently been accorded the classical language status, Marathi names should have been given priority while naming the penguins. "Giving English names to these penguins is injustice to the Marathi language. Isn't this hatred towards Marathi language?" he said.

BJP's Push For Marathi Names

BJP leaders said the penguins were born in Mumbai. Describing the newborn penguins as 'native residents'/'sons of the soil' i.e., bhumiputra from birth, the BJP argues they should be given Marathi names.

Letters were sent, warning the administration that if it did not take positive steps regarding Marathi renaming, the BJP would launch a "strong agitation". Copies of the letters have also been sent to the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Guardian Minister, and BMC officials.

However, there was no official response from the zoo administration to the BJP leaders, following which Nilesh Banker and other BJP workers protested in front of the zoo.

The Big Picture: BMC Elections

Mumbai has seen politics over language and cultural identity. Earlier these issues were limited to people and jobs, but now it has reached the penguin colony too. The controversy has become a subject of political, linguistic and cultural debate.

The zoo administration hasn't responded to the demands yet and there is no clarity yet on whether there will be any change in the names of these penguins or not.

Debate Over Expenditure

The opposition in the BMC had described the exercise of introducing penguins as wasteful expenditure and raised questions on whether the penguins will be able to survive in Mumbai's climate even with the climate-controlled facilities created for them.

Not only did they survive but the first penguin baby was born in Mumbai in 2018. Unfortunately, it did not survive and died within a week. However, since the programme has had success and the penguins are among the star attractions at the zoo.

So far most of the penguins at the Byculla zoo have had English names but this time around that could change.