Mumbai Zoo | Furore Over Penguin Names At Mumbai's Byculla Zoo, BJP Calls For Marathi Names

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. Seven years later, another round of politics has broken out over the naming of the penguins. The BJP is now asking why haven't the Maharashtra-born penguins get Marathi 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 and want Marathi names for these newborn penguins.