A cross-party group of 75 MPs has joined animal welfare campaigners in an urgent plea for the release of 15 gentoo penguins reportedly "trapped in a basement without sunlight or fresh air" at the Sea Life London Aquarium.
According to Independent, the campaign, spearheaded by an unnamed MP, describes the birds' captivity at the riverside attraction, a short distance from Parliament, as "un-British".
Members of Parliament from across the political spectrum have co-signed an open letter, demanding an immediate review into the welfare conditions of the penguins.
Owned by Merlin Entertainments, the aquarium first introduced 10 gentoo penguins from Edinburgh Zoo in May 2011.
In a letter sent to Emma Reynolds MP, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the 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.”
David Taylor, Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead and letter co-ordinator, said, “It’s un-British to keep penguins trapped in a basement with no daylight or fresh air. No animal should live like that, with their rights appearing to be traded for hard cash.”
Campaigners assert that these birds have now endured "14 years in a basement" where their pool is said to be only six to seven feet deep.
