Animal Welfare Activists Protest 14-Year Captivity of Penguins at Sea Life London
Hundreds of animal welfare campaigners gathered outside the Sea Life London Aquarium on Sunday, demanding the release of 15 gentoo penguins kept in what protesters describe as a basement enclosure without sunlight or fresh air. The "Free the Fifteen" demonstration, organized by Freedom For Animals with support from Born Free and The Express newspaper, drew between 250 and 300 people to the Westminster attraction, where participants held placards and chanted for the penguins' freedom.
Prominent figures including naturalist Chris Packham, musician-turned-environmentalist Feargal Sharkey, and green businessman Dale Vince joined the protest, issuing strong criticisms of the penguins' living conditions. Packham called the enclosure "hideous" and "a blight on the reputation of London's attractions," while Sharkey dared Merlin Entertainments chief executive Fiona Eastwood to swap places with the penguins, offering to donate £1,000 to a charity of her choice if she spent a month in the basement enclosure.
The controversy centers on the aquarium's penguin exhibit, which opened in May 2011 with 10 gentoo penguins transferred from Edinburgh Zoo. Campaigners state the animals "have now endured 14 years in a basement" with a pool only six to seven feet deep. Protesters argue that the windowless underground facility denies the birds access to natural sunlight and fresh air, conditions they describe as unacceptable for animals adapted to Antarctic environments.
In response to the protest, a spokesperson for the Sea Life London Aquarium defended the penguins' habitat, stating it was "designed with help and advice from specialist vets" and provides "an excellent balance of water and land for the penguins which enables them to express their normal behaviours." The aquarium maintains there is sufficient space for privacy and normal behavioral expression. Meanwhile, a petition calling for the penguins to be moved has gathered more than 15,000 signatures, indicating growing public concern about the animals' welfare.
