Basement penguins a ‘crime against nature’
Dale Vince backs campaign to free gentoo colony
ECOTRICITY boss Dale Vince is backing a campaign to free 15 gentoo penguins from a tourist attraction where they live without natural light or fresh air.
Campaigners are calling for Sea Life London Aquarium and its parent company Merlin Entertainments to release the colony into a safe sanctuary.
The Daily Express has highlighted the penguins’ plight as a petition to relocate them has amassed over 1,500 signatures.
Mr Vince said: “It’s heartbreaking to see these penguins locked away in a basement in London. It’s a crime against nature. I’m right behind the
Daily Express campaign to free the gentoo penguins. Sea Life must guarantee a safe sanctuary for these marine birds.” Freedom for Animals, which set up the petition, says the penguins can only dive to 7ft in their enclosure on central London’s South Bank – while in the wild it is 600ft.
They are part of the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria breeding scheme. But Freedom for Animals said there was “no justification” for breeding gentoo penguins in captivity. The group’s director, Dr Andrew Kelly, said: “Their populations are not threatened in the wild and even if they were, captive bred penguins are not suitable for wild release due to infection risks.
“It is the moral responsibility of both Sea Life and EAZA to support the movement of gentoo penguins to sanctuary.”
Balance
Merlin Entertainments and EAZA were contacted for comment. Sea Life said: “The welfare of all the animals in our care is of paramount importance to us and we are committed to delivering the highest levels of care.
“The gentoo penguin habitat provides an excellent balance of water and land for the penguins and there is space to ensure they have sufficient privacy.”
●●Sign the petition at tinyurl. com/ffa-penguins