A group of animal activists/advocates/celebrities under the umbrella of the wildlife charity Freedom for Animals have claimed that the penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium live under conditions which are unacceptable and where there is “no daylight, no fresh air, and just a pitiful pool of a few feet in depth.”
They claim that the penguins are being held captive in a “small basement enclosure”. And they are campaigning for the release of this exploited penguin colony.
Chris Packham, Dale Vince and Fergal Sharkey are among 26 celebrities to sign a letter criticising the conditions in which 15 gentoo penguins are being kept at this aquarium which is on the southern embankment of the Thames opposite the Houses of Parliament in central London.
I have walked past it myself many times. It is a tourist attraction near the London Eye. From a perspective of commercial activity and footfall, it is a perfect location. In their letter they state that:
“Gentoo penguins are the strongest swimmers and the deepest divers of all birds, yet their enclosure offers just 6-7 feet of depth of water in which to dive; a pitiful fraction of the 600 feet they can dive to in the wild. They can swim at speeds of up to 22 mph in the wild, but could never approach that in their London enclosure.”
The gentoo penguin is classified as near threatened by the IUCN red list. They argue that the exhibit has no conservation value and the animals are being exploited for commercial gain.
The parent company to the aquarium is Merlin Entertainments. The letter has been addressed to the company and they want it to end all penguin breeding programs, to stop penguin exhibits and guarantee the move of their current penguins to an independently operated sanctuary.
Defence
In defence of the animal advocates arguments, a spokesperson for Sea Life said that the penguins’ habitat was designed in consultation with specialist vets and that the welfare of all their animals are of ‘paramount importance’ to them.
The penguins are regularly inspected by third-party experts and officials. The enjoy regular health checks by Sea Life and independent veterinarians. Their care meets the government’s requirements. The temperature and lighting of their enclosure is adapted to their needs.
A Sea Life spokesman 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. The gentoo penguin habitat at Sea Life London Aquarium 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, Sea Life London Aquarium has an opportunity and responsibility in sharing the wonders of the natural world in an accessible manner. With the opportunity to influence more than a million people who visit Sea Life London Aquarium 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”.
Source: The Times
About the gentoo penguin
This section was written by ChatGPT (AI) – thanks.
The gentoo penguin is a remarkable species known for its unique characteristics and fascinating behavior. Found primarily in the sub-Antarctic regions, the gentoo penguin is the third largest of all penguin species, surpassed only by the emperor and king penguins. With a distinctive appearance, the gentoo can be easily identified by the wide white stripe that extends across the top of its head, creating a bonnet-like effect. This feature, coupled with its bright orange-red bill and pale pink webbed feet, gives the gentoo a strikingly handsome profile.
Gentoo penguins inhabit a range of locations in the Southern Hemisphere, including the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, the Kerguelen Islands, and the Antarctic Peninsula. These regions offer the cold, nutrient-rich waters that are crucial to the gentoo’s survival. Gentoos are highly adaptable birds and can be found nesting on rocky shores, flat beaches, and even grassy plains, depending on the location.
The gentoo’s diet is primarily composed of crustaceans, such as krill, along with fish and squid. This diet requires them to be excellent swimmers. In fact, the gentoo penguin is one of the fastest swimming birds, capable of reaching speeds of up to 36 kilometers per hour (22 mph) in the water. This remarkable speed and agility allow them to outmaneuver predators and efficiently hunt their prey.
Gentoo penguins are also notable for their breeding behavior. Unlike some other penguin species that breed in massive colonies, gentoo penguins tend to form smaller, more scattered colonies. Their nesting sites are usually simple, consisting of a pile of stones, which both the male and female penguin help to build. The stones serve as protection against flooding and also play a role in the courtship process, with males often presenting stones to females as a form of bonding. This mutual cooperation extends throughout the breeding season, with both parents sharing the duties of incubation and chick-rearing. Typically, two eggs are laid, and both parents take turns incubating them over a period of about 35 days. Once the chicks hatch, the parents continue to share the responsibility of feeding and protecting their young, which remain in the nest for several weeks before forming groups known as crèches with other chicks for safety.
The social structure of gentoo penguins is quite complex. They are known for their loud, trumpeting calls, which are used for communication between mates and within the colony. Despite their seemingly clumsy waddling on land, gentoo penguins are highly social and often engage in various forms of interaction, from playful chasing to vocalizing in groups.
As resilient as they are, gentoo penguins face numerous challenges in their environment. Their natural predators include sea lions, leopard seals, and orcas, which hunt them in the water, while on land, they must be wary of birds like skuas and giant petrels that prey on their eggs and chicks. However, their biggest threat comes from human activities, particularly climate change and its impact on their habitat. Rising temperatures are leading to changes in sea ice patterns and the availability of prey, which in turn affects gentoo populations. Additionally, human disturbances such as fishing, pollution, and tourism can disrupt their breeding sites and feeding grounds.
Despite these challenges, gentoo penguins continue to thrive in many of their habitats, thanks to their adaptability and the conservation efforts that have been put in place to protect them. Researchers and conservationists closely monitor gentoo populations, studying their behaviors, tracking their numbers, and working to mitigate the impacts of human activities on their environment. These efforts are crucial in ensuring that the gentoo penguin, with its distinctive charm and vital role in the Antarctic ecosystem, continues to thrive for generations to come.
In summary, the gentoo penguin is a resilient and fascinating bird, characterized by its distinctive appearance, remarkable swimming abilities, and complex social behaviors. While they face significant environmental threats, ongoing conservation efforts provide hope for the future of this species in the wild. Their ability to adapt and thrive in some of the harshest environments on Earth serves as a testament to the resilience of nature and the importance of protecting our planet’s biodiversity.
