Calls for London Aquarium penguins to be released
Calls for London Aquarium penguins to be released
Animal welfare campaigners have called for the release of 15 penguins "trapped in a basement without sunlight or fresh air" in a demonstration held at the London Aquarium.
Organised by Freedom For Animals with support from Born Free and The Express newspaper, between 250 and 300 people protested against the captivity of 15 gentoo penguins at the riverside attraction in Westminster.
The aquarium, owned by Merlin Entertainments, opened its first penguin exhibit in May 2011, introducing 10 gentoo penguins from Edinburgh Zoo.
A spokesperson for the Sea Life London Aquarium said the penguins' habitat was "designed with help and advice from specialist vets".
The penguins "have now endured 14 years in a basement" equipped with a pool of only six to seven feet (1.8-2.1m) deep, according to campaigners.
Former Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey dared the new Merlin Entertainments chief executive Fiona Eastwood to "swap places with the penguins".
He said: "In fact, if she's prepared to actually spend a month down there with those penguins, I will donate £1,000 of my money to a charity of her choosing.
"There is no reason that they should be benefiting at all from imprisoning 15 birds in the basement of an old council building."
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