Overview
- The open letter coordinated by Labour MP David Taylor urges an urgent investigation into the penguins’ conditions and whether relocation is warranted.
- Campaigners allege the birds are kept without daylight or fresh air in a confined space with a pool about 2.1 metres deep, with some said never to have seen the sky.
- Merlin Entertainments says the enclosure is on the ground floor, was designed with specialist input, meets Standards of Modern Zoo Practice, and houses healthy birds.
- The company cites climate-controlled conditions, filtered fresh air and ongoing assessments by groups including Global Humane Society and the International Zoo Veterinary Group.
- A Freedom For Animals petition has passed 37,000 signatures as government officials highlight a wider overhaul of zoo welfare standards without announcing a case-specific intervention.