Love will soon be in the air for six of SEA LIFE London Aquarium’s Gentoo penguins as they prepare to leave the capital to find romance as part of a new colony in Denmark.
The pioneering penguins are moving as part of SEA LIFE’s global conservation breeding programme and include Ramsey, Clarice, Potato, Chickpea, Marmalade and eight-month-old Raducanu, who was famously named in 2021 after US Open tennis champion and fellow Londoner, Emma Raducanu.
With their penguin p-p-passports at the ready, the six Gentoos will travel 1,000 miles in a specially designed refrigerated lorry over land and sea at the end of February as they wave goodbye to the London Aquarium’s colony before arriving at LEGOLAND® Billund in Denmark.
It is there that the female penguins of the group will be matched up with male gentoos from different aquariums to form a new breeding colony, before finally moving to the Kattegatcentre Aquarium which they will eventually call home, in a new purpose-built habitat.
Maintaining a diverse gene pool is crucial to the success of the programme and it’s important that once baby penguins are fully matured, they go on to join other colonies and find mates of their own.
Catherine Pritchard, SEA LIFE London Aquarium’s General Manager, said: “Whilst we’re sad to be waving off six of our Gentoo colony, we’re also incredibly proud to be able to play such a vital role in the future conservation of these amazing penguins.
“The continued success of our Gentoo breeding programme here at SEA LIFE London Aquarium is down to the fantastic work of our expert animal care team and we can’t wait to follow the journeys of Ramsey, Clarice, Potato, Chickpea, Marmalade and Raducanu as they look for love in Europe and hopefully one day give birth to their very own chicks.”
Ahead of making the move to Denmark, the Gentoos will undergo a routine check of their feed, weight and health records, as well as a once over from a specialist vet to ensure they’re fit to travel. Once given all clear, the six birds will travel in ‘sky kennels’ which have been specially adapted with the penguins’ welfare in mind to ensure the move is as seamless as possible.
They will then be transported by Ventura Wildlife Services who will make the drive to the south coast before boarding the ferry to Caen and embarking through France, Belgium and Germany before reaching Denmark. The penguins will be closely monitored throughout the journey by trained veterinary experts.
Last year, SEA LIFE London Aquarium’s colony of Gentoo penguins welcomed two new chicks, Raducanu and Gilbert, who were the latest chicks to be born at the attraction in recent years. The successful breeding at the aquarium was due in part to the strong European collaborative conservation programme that the London Aquarium is involved with.
Populations of Gentoo penguins have declined rapidly in recent years owing to the birds’ sensitive breeding nature and damage to their habitats from tourism, pollution and the illegal collection of their eggs. The species has been listed as ‘near threatened’ on the IUCN red list for many years.
Gentoo penguins are great ambassadors for all wildlife found on the Antarctic Peninsula, a location which is under great threat from climate change, microplastic pollution and the negative effects of human activity.
SEA LIFE London Aquarium, situated on the South Bank, is open seven days a week. For the latest opening times, feeding times, prices and more, see http://www.visitsealife.com/london/
