Free the 15 penguins campaign highlights captive animals issue
Gentoo penguins' enclosure at Sea Life London Aquarium. 250 people attended a recent demonstration organised by Freedom for Animals with support from Born Free and The Express newspaper, to protest against the captivity of 15 gentoo penguins here. Picture: Born Free/PA Wire
Rising global concerns about keeping wild animals in captivity were highlighted by a recent controversy surrounding the keeping of penguins in the Sea Life London Aquarium.
In Ireland, the veterinary profession, and numerous other groups, have already voiced fears about the health and welfare of captive animals and called for tighter Government regulations.
We’ve had cases of people keeping a range of rather unusual (generally called exotic) pets including crocodiles and snakes. Not exactly the most desirable neighbours! There’s been at least one case of a crocodile being kept in a bathroom.
Some years ago, the National Exotic Animal Sanctuary (NEAS) reckoned there were 100,000 reptiles in Ireland, tarantulas, lizards, tortoises and scorpions.
That number might seem incredible, but the Meath-based sanctuary, which cares for such animals when they are unwanted, or neglected, said the animals were mainly kept in bedrooms, or apartments, and the public did not see them.
The London aquarium is not far from the British Houses of Parliament. A number of MPs campaigned for the 15 Gentoo penguins — more accustomed to Antarctic regions — to be moved to a more suitable facility “better aligned with their behavioural, ecological and physiological needs".
The company which is holding the penguins under house arrest in a dingy basement on the south bank is @MerlinEntsNews, sold in 2019 for a staggering ,500,000,000
— Feargal Sharkey (@Feargal_Sharkey) August 20, 2024
How much of that then should I count as blood money for the lives of 15 penguins? https://t.co/kiRMnmoMwg
Derry-born singer Feargal Sharkey, vocalist with the 1980s punk band, The Undertones, has been supporting the campaign.
The aquarium says it was always guided by doing what’s best for animals and conditions were carefully designed to reflect the penguins’ natural environment.
However, as the campaign gained momemtum, Merlin Entertainments, which runs the aquarium in central London, now says said it will hold conversations with a diverse mix of people concerned about the welfare of the 15 penguins held in an indoor enclosure at the site.
The move came after 75 MPs joined animal welfare activists calling for the release of the penguins "trapped in a basement without sunlight or fresh air" in the riverside attraction a short walk from Parliament.
Campaign groups, specialists and political representatives are among those expected to be invited for facilitated one-to-one and group discussions.
More people are now aware of cruelty to wild animals caused by keeping them in activity. Since 2018, and following a long campaign, circuses in Ireland have been banned from using these animals. We became the 20th EU country, and the 42nd globally, to introduce such a ban.
In a policy document, Veterinary Ireland welcomed the ban, but underlined its concerns about privately-held wild animals and the ability of people to look after them.
The vets’ organisation also recommended a ban on the sale of primates in pet shops and regulations controlling the sale of such animals on the internet. Still, mind you, the ownership of exotic pets is increasing worldwide.
The owner of Ireland’s National Reptile Zoo, James Hennessy, has also called for stronger legislation to protect exotic animals. Last March, he told this newspaper that Ireland is "open season" for people to bring in all sorts of rare creatures.
He said some exotic pet owners, especially those with smaller breeds of crocodile, lack the resources and knowledge to care for their animals.
The NEAS also backed calls for legislation to protect exotic animals and for a clampdown on the bringing of so many rare creatures into the country.
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