The penguin chick at Byculla zoo died last month due to liver dysfunction and respiratory failure, the post-mortem report has said. Doctors noticed congestion and froth in its lungs during the post-mortem analysis.
The chick was born to penguin pair Mr. Molt and Flipper on August 15, but died on August 22. A team of doctors from Bombay Veterinary College, comprising a pathologist, microbiologist and avian specialist, conducted a post-mortem the next morning. It found that the chick’s liver and gall bladder had degenerated. The gall bladder was enlarged and had retained bile, and the liver was dysfunctional. The yolk sac, which stores food and is supposed to empty itself every two to three days, was full, creating complications.
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The final report submitted to the zoo authorities on Friday has named hepatobilliary system (liver) and respiratory failures as the cause of death. It has also blamed yolk sac retention.
“We noticed the lungs were not perfect and had some frothy substance in them. But the chick had not shown signs of respiratory distress while it was alive. Changes can happen in the last moments as well,” Dr. Madhumita Kale, chief veterinarian at the penguin exhibit, said.
Dr Sanjay Tripathi, zoo director, said the distended liver led to toxins leaking in the body. “The lungs had a lot of congestion, which could be a sign of pneumonia. It appears that liver failure was the primary cause while respiratory failure was the secondary cause,” he said.
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The report has also mentioned a distended gall bladder that led to bile retention.
Dr. Shivani Tandel, a veterinarian and avian specialist, said, “From what I hear, there was a problem with the liver due to which absorption of yolk sac did not happen. Hepatobilliary failure led to the liver getting inflamed. There is no diaphragm in birds, so the liver keeps growing and puts pressure on lungs. That’s why birds face respiratory distress. I think it was a congenital anomaly.”