75 UK lawmakers call for investigation into penguin welfare at London Aquarium, citing “un-British” basement conditions without daylight or fresh air.
LONDON: Seventy-five British MPs have raised serious welfare concerns about 15 penguins kept in a windowless enclosure at the London Aquarium.
Lawmakers penned an open letter to the environment minister expressing “deep concern” for the Gentoo penguins’ living conditions.
Letter coordinator David Taylor, Labour MP for a north London neighbourhood, called it “un-British to keep penguins trapped in a basement with no daylight or fresh air.”
Animal welfare charities Born Free and Freedom for Animals confirmed the black-and-white birds live in an enclosure with a pool around two metres deep without outdoor access.
The MPs demanded the environment department investigate the conditions “in light of the growing public concern” and intervene if necessary.
Sea Life, owned by theme park giant Merlin Entertainments, first introduced the orange-beaked penguins to London in 2011.
Freedom for Animals revealed two penguins named Polly and Ratchet have endured “14 years underground” at the facility.
“Others, like Gilbert and Ziggy, have never seen the sky,” said the charity.
Their petition preceding the MPs’ letter gathered over 37,000 signatures.
A Merlin Entertainment conservation spokesperson said the enclosure is actually on the ground floor and reproduces the birds’ natural habitat as far as possible.
“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,” said the spokesperson.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson confirmed the government takes “animal welfare extremely seriously.”
Sea Life reported the London Aquarium receives over one million visitors annually. – AFP
