Dozens of British MPs have called for the release of 15 penguins “trapped” in the basement of a London aquarium without sunlight or fresh air, saying their living conditions are “completely unacceptable”.
The 15 gentoo penguins are housed in an enclosure at Sea Life London Aquarium next to the River Thames, a short distance from the Houses of Parliament.
The aquarium, owned by Merlin Entertainment, first opened its penguin exhibit in May 2011, according to Britain’s PA Media news agency.
Activists say the penguins are “small colonies in small enclosures that do not meet their physical and social needs and do not allow them to enjoy their natural activities.”
“They can only dive to a depth of 6 to 7 feet in their enclosures, a pitiful fraction of the 600 feet they can dive in the wild,” the animal rights group said in a petition signed by more than 37,000 people.
More than 70 MPs have now signed a letter to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) asking the government to “consider whether penguins should be moved to more suitable facilities that better meet their behavioral, ecological and physiological needs,” PA media reported.
The letter was co-ordinated by ruling Labor Party MP David Taylor.
“It’s un-British to keep penguins locked up in basements with no sunlight or fresh air. No animal should live like that, where penguin rights appear to have been exchanged for cash,” Taylor said.
Another signatory, Liberal Democrat MP Danny Chambers, said the penguins were being kept in “totally unacceptable” conditions.
“They’re not being given fresh air, natural light and the space they need to grow,” he says.
A campaign to free the penguins and end all breeding programs at aquariums has gained momentum in recent months.
Broadcaster and environmental activist Chris Packham took part in a protest outside the aquarium last month and called the living conditions “absolutely despicable”, adding: “We can’t let things go on like this.”
“These 15 penguins are currently housed underground with no access to sunlight or fresh air, in a basement that has been housing penguins continuously since May 2011. One penguin, Polly, has been housed there for over 14 years,” Packham said in a social media post.
A spokesperson for Merlin Entertainment’s conservation, welfare and education team said in a statement that they have a team of experts to ensure the penguins are “healthy and thriving”.
They added that the facility where the penguins are housed was designed in collaboration with veterinarians and penguin experts.
“Release into the wild is never a safe option for penguins who have always lived in human care,” the spokesperson said.
“This is a complex issue. There are many things to consider, but we take every decision very seriously, always guided by what’s best for the animal.”
A DEFRA spokesperson told CNN in a statement: “This government is committed to the highest standards of animal welfare. We recently embarked on an overhaul of zoo welfare standards to strengthen protections and ensure all animals, including gentoo penguins, are cared for in line with best practice.”
