Tragedy as UK penguin held captive in basement dies | UK | News
Ratchet, one of the penguins at the London Aquarium, passed away (Image: Daily Express)
The penguin at the center of the campaign to be moved from the basement of the London Aquarium has died. Ratchet, the second oldest member of the colony, passed away overnight at the age of 31.
A spokesperson said in a statement: “The Sea Life London Aquarium team is deeply saddened to share the news of the passing of Ratchet, one of the aquarium’s two senior gentoo penguins and among the oldest gentoos in the UK. Ratchet was 31 years old when he passed away; This was a very long lifespan for a gentoo penguin, whose average lifespan is 15-20 years.
“Ratchet was part of our gentoo colony, ambassadors who helped highlight the growing challenges facing wild penguins.
“Working with penguins has allowed our teams to develop specialist animal care skills that are used worldwide for both penguin rescue and scientific discovery.
“Rachet was immensely loved by our team and visitors and will be greatly missed.”
Read more: London Aquarium issues two-word warning about captive penguins in basement
Ratchet was moved to the aquarium in 2017, meaning he spent the last nine years of his life without fresh air and sunlight.
He was among the penguins at the heart of a campaign by the Daily Express, Animals Freedom and the Born Free Foundation to move them to a more suitable location.
Laura Walton, co-director of Freedom for Animals, said: “Freedom for Animals is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Ratchet. He was a wild animal who deserved more than a life defined by confinement, and it is deeply saddening that he spent his life in captivity.
“We hope his story serves as a reminder that penguins are wild animals whose needs cannot be fully met in artificial environments. We will continue to work to ensure that the remaining members of the Ratchet colony are given the opportunity to move towards conditions where their nature and rights as individuals are more respected.”
MPs, celebrities and more than 50,000 members of the public supported the campaign.
The oldest penguin in the group is Polly, who was born in 1995 and originally comes from Edinburgh Zoo.
It moved to England’s capital in 2011 when the London Aquarium attraction was created.
In the wild, gentoo penguins can dive up to 600 ft and swim up to 22 mph, but their 7 ft pool at Sea Life deprives them of the ability to express basic natural behaviors such as swimming and diving.
Experts, campaigners and the aquarium will meet to discuss the penguins’ future later this month.
In a statement issued in March, a spokesperson for Merlin Entertainments said: “We are conducting intensive, science-backed discussions with independent experts to determine the best next steps.
“We all agree that no change is an option and together we are examining the risks and opportunities associated with relocating penguins as an alternative to further improving habitat at Sea Life London.
“We are on track to share the plan by the end of May, based on input from independent experts, including campaign groups and other key stakeholders.
“In parallel, we are improving the penguins’ habitat and providing new opportunities that encourage natural behaviour, implementing recommendations agreed through the group and focusing strictly on the daily care of the penguins.”
