MP issues fresh demands over 'deeply troubling' penguin enclosure at London Aquarium

An MP has demanded an independent assessment into London Aquarium's basement penguin enclosure without fresh air or daylight.

Labour's David Taylor penned a letter to Fiona Eastwood, the CEO of the aquarium's parent company Merlin Entertainment, to slam the habitat as "deeply troubling".

The parliamentarian said: "I wrote to express my serious concern regarding the welfare of the gentoo penguins currently kept at Sea Life London Aquarium."

He added: "It is deeply troubling that such intelligent, active and deep-diving animals appear to bekept in conditions that do not meet either behavioural or physiological needs.

Mr Taylor, who pledged to raise the matter in Parliament, demanded that the CEO explain why the 15 animals are "kept in such conditions".

The MP called for an independent assessment of the enclosure and its compliance with welfare standards following a mass protest led by celebrities in October.

He said: "I intend to raise this matter in Parliament to ensure that an independent assessment of the enclosure and its compliance with welfare standards is undertaken as soon as possible."

Chris Packham, Dale Vince, Feargal Sharkey and Megan McCubbin joined up to 300 protesters outside the tourist attraction on the Southbank to demand the animals be moved to a more suitable environment.

Former Undertones star Mr Sharkey accused the company of exploiting the birds for profit.

He said: "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.

"As we now know, some of them have been there for 14 years, in the basement of a former council building.

A petition calling for them to be moved has amassed more than 37,000 signatures.

The Express was previously threatened with legal action for calling the penguins captive, and has since led a crusade to free them alongside Freedom for Animals and Born Free.

Twenty-five cross-party MPs, dozens of animal welfare groups and celebrities have backed demands for the animals to be moved.

Marina Ahmad AM, London Assembly Member for Lambeth & Southwark said: "I 100% support the campaign to free the gentoo penguins from the London Aquarium. I have been concerned about them for some time and can only see profit as the motivating factor for the conditions they are housed in.

"To keep and display animals with no natural light in this way is deplorable. The penguins' unnatural environment is nothing but cruel and should not be tolerated. I want to see the gentoo 15 taken to a safe and appropriate place where they can live their lives displaying natural behaviour."

A Sea Life London Aquarium (SLLA) spokeswoman said: "The welfare of all the animals in our care is of paramount importance to us at Sea Life and we are committed to delivering the highest levels of care through our team of dedicated welfare experts, both internal and external.

"Sea Life conforms to all requirements under the Standards of Modern Zoo Practice by providing the relevant zoo licensing authorities with access to its animal records.

"This is in addition to regular visits including zoo licence inspections by these local authorities, alongside additional external inspectors and independent vets, who monitor animal welfare and data on an ongoing basis and will continue to do so.

"SLLA also carries out its own regular health checks on all the animals in its care, while an independent specialist vet also visits every two months for routine assessments, and can also be contacted daily with any other concerns.

"The Gentoo penguin habitat at SLLA was designed with help and advice from specialist vets. 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.

"As part of its overall mission, SLLA provides an opportunity to share the wonders of the natural world in an accessible manner. With the opportunity to educate more than a million people who visit SLLA from all around the globe each year to care for the world's oceans and the marine life within it, we believe this is a hugely positive thing."

To sign the petition to free the penguins, visit this page.