Jakarta, goldensamoyed Indonesia
—
Dozens of British MPs are pushing for 15 penguins said to be “trapped” in an aquarium in
London
released immediately.They deemed the animals’ living conditions, with no access to sunlight or fresh air, to be “completely unacceptable.”
A total of 15 Gentoo penguins were placed in a cage at
Sea Life London Aquarium
, which is located next to the River Thames, not far from the Houses of Parliament.This aquarium, which is owned by Merlin Entertainments, first opened its penguin exhibition in May 2011.
Campaigners claim that the small colony of penguins is in cages that “do not meet their physical and social needs and do not allow them to enjoy their natural behaviour.”
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“Their enclosures only offer a depth of 6-7 feet (about 1.8 to 2.1 meters) for diving, a pitiful fraction compared to the 600 feet (about 183 meters) they can dive in the wild,” animal activists said in a petition that has been signed by more than 37,000 people, as reported
goldensamoyed
.
Now, more than 70 members of parliament (MP) have signed a letter sent to the UK Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
They asked the government to consider whether the penguins should be relocated to more appropriate facilities that align with their behavioral, ecological and physiological needs.
The letter was coordinated by David Taylor, an MP from the ruling Labor Party.
“It would be un-British to leave penguins trapped in a basement without sunlight or fresh air. No animal should live like that, where their rights are traded for cash,” Taylor stressed.
Another lawmaker, Danny Chambers of the Liberal Democrat Party, called the penguins’ condition “completely unacceptable.””They don’t get the fresh air, natural light and space they need to thrive,” he said.
A campaign to release the penguins and end all breeding programs at the aquarium has gained traction in recent months.
Last month, broadcaster and environmental campaigner Chris Packham attended a protest outside the aquarium, calling the penguins’ living conditions “absolutely terrible”, and hoping they should not continue.
“These fifteen penguins are currently housed underground without access to sunlight or fresh air in a basement that has continuously held the penguins since May 2011. One of the penguins, Polly, has been held there for more than 14 years,” he explained.
Aquarium and Government Response
A spokesperson from Merlin Entertainments’ Conservation, Welfare & Education team denied the allegations.They say they have a team of specialists who ensure the penguins are healthy and thriving.
The facility where the penguins are housed, they claim, was designed in collaboration with veterinarians and penguin specialists.They also confirmed to PA Media that the facility was on the ground floor of the aquarium, not in the basement.
“Releasing them into the wild is not a safe option for these penguins, which have always lived in human care,” the spokesperson said.”This is a complex issue. There are many things to consider, and we take every decision seriously, always guided by what is best for the animals,” he added.
“This government is committed to the highest standards of animal welfare. We recently launched an overhaul of welfare standards in zoos to strengthen protections and ensure all animals, including Gentoo penguins, are cared for according to best practice,” said a DEFRA spokesperson.
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