Penguin Welfare Row in London Aquarium: Some Have Lived Underground 14 Years
Creatrip Team
4 months ago
A controversy has erupted over the care of 15 gentoo penguins at the Sea Life London Aquarium after reports said they are kept in a subterranean area with no sunlight or fresh air. Animal groups say the penguins are confined to a narrow underground space and that their pool depth (6–7 feet, about 2 m) is far below natural diving depths, failing to meet social and physical needs. A petition has gathered over 37,000 signatures, and more than 70 UK MPs have urged DEFRA to review moving the birds to more suitable facilities. Activists and politicians criticized the aquarium for prioritizing money over animal rights; one penguin, “Polly,” is reported to have spent 14 years there. The aquarium insists the penguins are healthy under expert care on the ground floor and that release into the wild would be unsafe, while DEFRA says it will ensure high animal welfare standards. (gentoo penguin: a medium-sized penguin species often kept in aquariums)
