Protesters calling for the discharge of penguins “trapped in a basement” demonstrated exterior a London attraction on Sunday, with musician turned eco-campaigner Feargal Sharkey throwing down the gauntlet to the corporate boss.
Between 250-300 animal welfare campaigners stated the 15 penguins are stored “in a windowless basement enclosure” on the Sea Life London Aquarium, with no daylight or outside entry.
The aquarium, owned by Merlin Entertainments, opened its first penguin exhibit in Might 2011.
The ten gentoo penguins launched from Edinburgh Zoo have “now endured 14 years in a basement”, with a pool of solely about seven ft deep (2.1m) during which to swim, in keeping with the campaigners that organised the protest.
Born Free says not less than two of the birds have by no means seen the sky.
A spokesperson for the Sea Life London Aquarium stated on Sunday the penguins’ habitat was “designed with help and advice from specialist vets”.
The assertion added: “It provides an excellent balance of water and land for the penguins, which enables them to express their normal behaviours, and there is space for them to ensure they have sufficient privacy.”
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Pic: Born Free/PA
Feargal Sharkey, former singer of The Undertones, now recognized for his campaigning in opposition to the water trade, dared Merlin Entertainments’ new chief govt Fiona Eastwood to “swap places with the penguins”.
“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,” Mr Sharkey stated.
“As we now know, some of them have been there for 14 years, in the basement of a former council building.
“It is a surprising indictment.”
He added: “There isn’t any cause that they need to be benefiting in any respect from imprisoning 15 birds within the basement of an outdated council constructing.
“It’s idiotic. It’s a nonsense, and it’s got to stop.”
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Dale Vince, Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin and Feargal Sharkey (from L to R) attended the protest: Pic: PA
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Pic: Born Free/PA
Merlin Entertainments is co-run by Blackstone Group, Canada Pension Plan Funding Board (CPPIB), and Kirkbi, the funding arm of the Lego household.
The British theme park firm owns a variety of theme parks and different points of interest throughout the UK, together with Alton Towers, Legoland Windsor, Madame Tussauds, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures.
Gentoo penguins are supreme swimmers, the quickest swimming chicken on the earth, in keeping with the charity Penguins Worldwide.
Within the wild, they will attain speeds of 22mph (35 kph).
Naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham stated he was there to protest the “injustice that’s been wrought upon 15 beautiful little gentoo penguins currently housed in the dingy basement of the building behind me.”
Megan McCubbin, fellow TV presenter and Chris Packham’s stepdaughter, stated gentoo penguins have been “one of the most amazing species that we have on our planet”.
She added: “And when you walk through [the basement] – and I’ve only been once and I will never go again – you can’t help but feel heartbroken about them.”
Sea Life London Aquarium additionally stated in its assertion it was “committed to supporting conservation causes globally” by means of its Breed, Rescue, Defend programme, which helps endangered species.
