Campaigners urge release of gentoo penguins kept at London aquarium

Animal welfare campaigners are calling for the gentoo penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium, which are like those pictured, to be released. Photo / Dean Purcell

British MPs have joined animal welfare campaigners in demanding the release of 15 gentoo penguins from a London aquarium.

The activists previously described the penguins as being “trapped in a basement without sunlight or fresh air” while a group of 75 politicians described their captivity as “un-British”.

The Sea Life London Aquarium, located in the County Hall building on London’s South Bank, next to the London Eye and across from the Houses of Parliament, launched its gentoo penguin exhibition in early 2011.

Campaigners have argued the penguins, brought in from Edinburgh Zoo, “have now endured 14 years” in a pool they claim is about 2m deep.

In a letter sent to Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds, the cross-bench group asked her to “consider whether the penguins should be relocated to a more suitable facility better aligned with their behavioural, ecological and physiological needs”.

“It’s un-British to keep penguins trapped in a basement with no daylight or fresh air,” Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead and letter co-ordinator David Taylor said.

“No animal should live like that, with their rights appearing to be traded for hard cash. Labour has always stood up for animals and we won’t stop until these penguins get the life they deserve.”

Merlin Entertainment, which owns the aquarium, said the penguins live in an enclosure which represents the penguins’ natural habitat and is not in the basement, rather on the ground floor.

“We know that many people care deeply about the gentoo penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium – we do too,” Merlin said in a statement.

“We have an incredible team of conservationists, animal welfare specialists and aquarists who are with the penguins every day, making sure they’re healthy and thriving.

“And we don’t do this alone – we work with some of the best penguin experts in the world, including vets and specialists in penguin behaviour and habitat design.

A group of British politicians have called for gentoo penguins to be released from Sea Life London Aquarium, located across the River Thames from the Houses of Parliament. Photo / 123rf

“They helped us build Penguin Point, which meets the high standards set by the Standards of Modern Zoo Practice, and we continue to be assessed by independent organisations like Global Humane Society and the International Zoo Veterinary Group.”

Merlin added some conditions of the penguins’ natural habitat can’t be easily replicated outdoors and releasing them into the wild would not be a safe option as they have always been in human care.

“This Government is committed to the highest standards of animal welfare,” the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs said.

“We recently launched an overhaul of welfare standards in zoos to strengthen protections and ensure all animals – including gentoo penguins – are cared for in line with best practice.”