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MPs person joined a run calling for 15 penguins "trapped successful a basement without sunlight oregon caller air" successful cardinal London to beryllium released.
A radical of 75 politicians has described their captivity astatine the Sea Life London Aquarium - a stone's propulsion from the Houses of Parliament - arsenic "un-British".
The aquarium, successful the County Hall gathering connected the South bank, other the London Eye, archetypal launched its grounds of gentoo penguins successful May 2011, and campaigners are arguing they "have present endured 14 years" successful a tiny abstraction with a excavation conscionable 2.1m (7ft) deep.
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds has been asked to "consider whether the penguins should beryllium relocated to a much suitable installation amended aligned with their behavioural, ecological and physiological needs".
David Taylor - the Labour MP for Hemel Hempstead - coordinated the missive and said the run "won't halt until these penguins get the beingness they deserve".
He added: "No carnal should unrecorded similar that, with their rights appearing to beryllium traded for hard cash."
Pressure has been gathering successful caller weeks connected Merlin Entertainments, the institution that owns the aquarium, arsenic good arsenic attractions including Alton Towers and Madame Tussauds.
Environmentalist Feargal Sharkey precocious challenged its main enforcement Fiona Eastwood to "swap places with the penguins", successful an "old assembly building", for a month.
"It's idiotic. It's a nonsense, and it's got to stop," helium warned.
Meanwhile, naturalist Chris Packham - who attended a protestation extracurricular the aquarium past period - described it arsenic a "blight connected the estimation of London's attractions".
A petition launched by the Freedom for Animals run radical has present received much than 37,000 signatures - with Born Free saying astatine slightest 2 of the birds person ne'er seen the sky.
But a spokesperson for Merlin's speech squad said the existent enclosure represents the penguins' earthy situation - and is connected the crushed level alternatively than the basement.
A connection added: "We cognize that galore radical attraction profoundly astir the gentoo penguins astatine Sea Life London Aquarium - we bash too.
"We person an unthinkable squad of conservationists, carnal payment specialists, and aquarists who are with the penguins each day, making definite they're steadfast and thriving.
"And we don't bash this unsocial - we enactment with immoderate of the champion penguin experts successful the world, including vets and specialists successful penguin behaviour and situation design."
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Merlin went connected to accidental that "Penguin Point" was built to replicate their earthy environment, with climate-controlled somesthesia and filtered caller air.
"These are things that can't easy beryllium replicated outdoors and releasing them into the chaotic simply isn't a harmless enactment for these penguins, who person ever lived successful quality care."
The institution added that the penguins' attraction is simply a "complex issue" and each determination astir their payment is taken seriously.
"We're open. We're listening. And we've ever done what's close for our animals based connected adept proposal and their idiosyncratic needs. That's a committedness we basal by."
A DEFRA spokesperson didn't code the Sea Life London Aquarium specifically, but said: "This authorities is committed to the highest standards of carnal welfare.
"We precocious launched an overhaul of payment standards successful zoos to fortify protections and guarantee each animals - including gentoo penguins - are cared for successful enactment with champion practice."
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