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Gentoo penguins “trapped” is “Un-British,” MPs say

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November 14, 2025
3 min read

Gentoo penguins “trapped” is “Un-British,” MPs say

Gentoo penguins that are “trapped” at Sea Life London Aquarium should “get the life they deserve” say a group of MPs. The 15 penguins at the attraction being kept captive is “un-British,” David Taylor, Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead, who is leading the campaign, has said.

The aquarium opened its first penguin exhibit in 2011 with the arrival of 15 Gentoo penguins from Edinburgh.

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A spokesperson for the conservation, welfare, and education team of Merlin Entertainments, which owns the aquarium, said that the enclosure replicated the animal’s natural habitat, adding that it was on the ground floor and not the basement

The group of MPs called on Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs Secretary Emma Reynolds in a letter to “consider whether the penguins should be relocated to a more suitable facility better aligned with their behavioural, ecological and physiological needs.”

“It’s un-British to keep penguins trapped in a basement with no daylight or fresh air,” Taylor said. “No animal should live like that, with their rights appearing to be traded for hard cash. Labour has always stood up for animals and we won’t stop until these penguins get the life they deserve.”

A petition from campaign group Freedom For Animals has called for the penguins to be transferred to a better facility. It has received over 37,000 signatures.

“We know that many people care deeply about the Gentoo penguins at Sea Life London Aquarium,” the Merlin Entertainments spokesperson said, “we do too. We have an incredible team of conservationists, animal welfare specialists, and aquarists who are with the penguins every day, making sure they’re healthy and thriving.”

The enclosure, they said, meets the standards of modern zoos, adding that it had been “carefully designed to reflect important elements of the penguins’ natural environment.”

A spokesperson from Defra said “This government is committed to the highest standards of animal welfare. We recently launched an overhaul of welfare standards in zoos to strengthen protections and ensure all animals – including Gentoo penguins – are cared for in line with best practice.”

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