Company boss challenged to 'swap places' with penguins 'trapped in basement' of aquarium

Protesters calling for the merchandise of penguins "trapped successful a basement" demonstrated extracurricular a London attraction connected Sunday, with instrumentalist turned eco-campaigner Feargal Sharkey throwing down the gauntlet to the institution boss.

Between 250-300 carnal payment campaigners said the 15 penguins are kept "in a windowless basement enclosure" astatine the Sea Life London Aquarium, with nary daylight oregon outdoor access.

The aquarium, owned by Merlin Entertainments, opened its archetypal penguin grounds successful May 2011.

The 10 gentoo penguins introduced from Edinburgh Zoo person "now endured 14 years successful a basement", with a excavation of lone astir 7 feet heavy (2.1m) successful which to swim, according to the campaigners that organised the protest.

Born Free says astatine slightest 2 of the birds person ne'er seen the sky.

A spokesperson for the Sea Life London Aquarium said connected Sunday the penguins' situation was "designed with assistance and proposal from specializer vets".

The connection added: "It provides an fantabulous equilibrium of h2o and onshore for the penguins, which enables them to explicit their mean behaviours, and determination is abstraction for them to guarantee they person capable privacy."

Feargal Sharkey, erstwhile vocalist of The Undertones, present known for his campaigning against the h2o industry, dared Merlin Entertainments' caller main enforcement Fiona Eastwood to "swap places with the penguins".

"In fact, if she's prepared to really walk a period down determination with those penguins, I volition donate £1,000 of my wealth to a foundation of her choosing," Mr Sharkey said.

"As we present know, immoderate of them person been determination for 14 years, successful the basement of a erstwhile assembly building.

"It's a shocking indictment."

He added: "There is nary crushed that they should beryllium benefiting astatine each from imprisoning 15 birds successful the basement of an aged assembly building.

"It's idiotic. It's a nonsense, and it's got to stop."

Merlin Entertainments is co-run by Blackstone Group, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB), and Kirkbi, the concern limb of the Lego family.

The British taxable parkland institution owns a scope of taxable parks and different attractions crossed the UK, including Alton Towers, Legoland Windsor, Madame Tussauds, Thorpe Park, and Chessington World of Adventures.

Gentoo penguins are ultimate swimmers, the fastest swimming vertebrate successful the world, according to the foundation Penguins International.

In the wild, they tin scope speeds of 22mph (35 kph).

Naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham said helium was determination to protestation the "injustice that's been wrought upon 15 beauteous small gentoo penguins presently housed successful the dingy basement of the gathering down me."

He told Sky News: "This gathering was ever unsuitable for these bids, and they've got to beryllium shifted out."

Megan McCubbin, chap TV presenter and Chris Packham's stepdaughter, said gentoo penguins were "one of the astir astonishing taxon that we person connected our planet".

She added: "And erstwhile you locomotion done [the basement] - and I've lone been erstwhile and I volition ne'er spell again - you can't assistance but consciousness heartbroken astir them."

Sea Life London Aquarium besides said successful its connection it was "committed to supporting conservation causes globally" done its Breed, Rescue, Protect programme, which supports endangered species.