Sea Life Boss Challenged To 'swap Places' With Penguins 'trapped In Basement' Of Aquarium - Beritaja

Protesters calling for the merchandise of penguins "trapped successful a basement" demonstrated extracurricular a London attraction connected Sunday, pinch musician turned eco-campaigner Feargal Sharkey throwing down the gauntlet to the institution boss.

Between 250-300 animal use campaigners said the 15 penguins are kept "in a windowless basement enclosure" astatine the Sea Life London Aquarium, pinch nary daylight aliases outdoor access.

The aquarium, owned by Merlin Entertainments, opened its first penguin grounds successful May 2011.

The 10 gentoo penguins introduced from Edinburgh Zoo person "now endured 14 years successful a basement", pinch a excavation of only about 7 feet heavy (2.1m) successful which to swim, according to the campaigners that organised the protest.

Born Free says astatine slightest 2 of the birds person ne'er seen the sky.

A spokesperson for the Sea Life London Aquarium said connected Sunday the penguins' residence was "designed pinch thief and proposal from master vets".

The connection added: "It provides an fantabulous equilibrium of h2o and onshore for the penguins, which enables them to definitive their normal behaviours, and location is abstraction for them to guarantee they person capable privacy."

Feargal Sharkey, erstwhile vocalist of The Undertones, now known for his campaigning against the h2o industry, dared Merlin Entertainments' caller main executive Fiona Eastwood to "swap places pinch the penguins".

"In fact, if she's prepared to really walk a period down location pinch those penguins, I will donate £1,000 of my money to a kindness of her choosing," Mr Sharkey said.

"As we now know, immoderate of them person been location for 14 years, successful the basement of a erstwhile assembly building.

"It's a shocking indictment."

He added: "There is nary logic that they should beryllium benefiting astatine each from imprisoning 15 birds successful the basement of an aged assembly building.

"It's idiotic. It's a nonsense, and it's sewage to stop."

Merlin Entertainments is co-run by Blackstone Group, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), and Kirkbi, the finance limb of the Lego family.

The British taxable parkland institution owns a scope of taxable parks and different attractions crossed the UK, including Alton Towers, Legoland Windsor, Madame Tussauds, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures.

Gentoo penguins are ultimate swimmers, the fastest swimming vertebrate successful the world, according to the kindness Penguins International.

In the wild, they could scope speeds of 22mph (35 kph).

Naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham said he was location to protestation the "injustice that's been wrought upon 15 beautiful small gentoo penguins presently housed successful the dingy basement of the building down me."

He told Beritaja: "This building was ever unsuitable for these bids, and they've sewage to beryllium shifted out."

Megan McCubbin, chap TV presenter and Chris Packham's stepdaughter, said gentoo penguins were "one of the about astonishing type that we person connected our planet".

She added: "And erstwhile you locomotion done [the basement] - and I've only been erstwhile and I will ne'er spell again - you can't thief but consciousness heartbroken about them."

Sea Life London Aquarium besides said successful its connection it was "committed to supporting conservation causes globally" done its Breed, Rescue, Protect programme, which supports endangered species.