Merlin Upgrades Homes for 31 Sea Life Penguins, Ends Gentoo Breeding at 2 UK Centres
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 29
Merlin Upgrades Homes for 31 Sea Life Penguins, Ends Gentoo Breeding at 2 UK Centres
10 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 29
Merlin Entertainments said 31 gentoo penguins from its London and Birmingham Sea Life sites will move into a new enclosure with natural light and significantly more water space.
The overhaul follows welfare concerns over the London habitat's small pool and lack of daylight, after months of talks with Freedom for Animals, Born Free, PETA, a veterinarian, a wild penguin researcher and BIAZA.
The company will permanently stop breeding gentoo penguins at both centres, a move campaigners said would materially improve the birds' lives even as they oppose captivity.
Full plans, including whether the upgraded habitat will be in London or Birmingham, are due in September; Merlin said the site will also be developed as a conservation research centre.
Is Merlin's new penguin home a true welfare victory or just a calculated PR move?
Can city aquariums ever truly replicate a wild animal's natural habitat, regardless of the budget?