White peacock dies in Byculla zoo

MUMBAI: A white peacock, which is a genetic variant of the India Blue Peacock, succumbed to death at the Byculla zoo on Monday evening.

Citing reasons for its death, the zoo keepers said the white peacock died due old age and ill-health.

“Its liver and kidneys had failed. It was paralysed since three months. It was mainly due to old age that it died. It lived for 20 years,”said Anil Anjankar, director, Byculla zoo.

Not to be mistaken for an albino, the white peacock was also suffering from bumble foot.

“It’s a ring formed at the bottom of the foot,”he said.

Anjankar said that since it was a rare variety found due to mutation changes it will not be replaced in the newly modernized zoo. “But we will include new peacocks in the new aviary. The male peacock died.

The female still exists in the zoo,”he said.

Byculla zoo boasts of the best aviary in Asia. The zoo has more than 450 birds belonging to nearly 37 different species. These species include exotic birds such as the grey parrot, species from Australia, Africa and a few from the Amazon forest.