Campaign to free London Sea Life Aquarium penguins ‘trapped in basement’ backed by MPs
A cross-party group of 75 MPs has joined animal welfare campaigners in an urgent appeal for the release of 15 gentoo penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium who were reportedly “trapped in a basement with no sunlight or fresh air”.
The campaign, spearheaded by an unnamed MP, describes the birds being kept in captivity at the riverside attraction a short distance from Parliament as “un-British”.
Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum have jointly signed an open letter demanding an immediate review of penguin welfare conditions.
The aquarium, owned by Merlin Entertainments, first introduced 10 gentoo penguins from Edinburgh Zoo in May 2011.
Campaigners claim these birds have now endured “14 years in the basement”, with their pools reportedly only six to seven feet deep.
In a letter to Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Emma Reynolds MP, the group asked her to “consider whether the penguins should be moved to a more suitable facility more suited to their behavioural, ecological and physiological needs”.
David Taylor, Labor MP for Hemel Hempstead and letters co-ordinator, said: “Keeping penguins locked up in a basement with no daylight or fresh air is un-British.
“No animal should live like this, with their rights appearing to be traded for cash.
“The Labor Party has always been on the side of animals and we won’t stop until these penguins get the life they deserve.”
The campaign has already won the support of musician-turned-environmentalist Feargal Sharkey, who has challenged Merlin Entertainments’ new chief executive Fiona Eastwood to “switch places with the penguins”.
Naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham CBE, who attended a protest outside the aquarium last month, described it as “a stain on the reputation of London’s tourist attractions”.
Merlin Entertainments is jointly managed by Blackstone Group, the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) and Kirkbi, the investment arm of the Lego family.
The British theme park giant has a wide range of attractions across the UK, including Alton Towers, Legoland Windsor, Madame Tussauds, Thorpe Park and Chessington World of Adventures.
A spokesperson for Sea Life London Aquarium previously said the penguins’ habitats were “designed with the help and advice of specialist veterinarians”, adding: “It provides the penguins with an excellent balance of water and land that allows them to express their normal behaviour, and there is space to ensure they have adequate privacy.”
A petition by campaign group Animal Freedom calling for the penguins to be moved to a better facility has received more than 37,000 signatures.
