Animal
rights activists urged the venue to cancel the event next Saturday
PETA had
sent a detailed letter to event organisers asking them to stop it
A
petition had also been launched in order to persuade organisers to pull
it
PUBLISHED: 19:02,
12 January 2019 | UPDATED: 00:54, 13 January 2019
Organisers
of an event which offered visitors the chance to skate alongside penguins have
been forced to cancel after uproar from animal rights groups.
Londoners
would have had the opportunity to share an ice rink with five Humboldt
penguins at the Queens Skate Dine Bowl, in West London.
The cute
animals were set to waddle onto the rink, based near Bayswater station on
Saturday January 19, however the event has now been pulled after groups such as
PETA and Humane Society International called for the event to be cancelled, as
well as swimmer Lewis Pugh and TV vet Marc Abrahams.
PETA said
that the penguins would 'experience stress' due to the amount of humans that
would have been present at the event.
The birds
would have been enclosed in their own purpose built pen where a hip height
barrier was to separate them from the other skaters.
Guests
were told they had the chance to come face to face with the penguins between
4-8pm, with it being just adults after 7pm. All profits from the event were set
to go towards BirdLife international, a bird conservation charity and the skate
sessions were in aid of Penguin Awareness Day.
Lewis
Pugh, who is a swimmer and ocean advocate had tweeted: 'This is terrible idea.
What an inappropriate way to mark #PenguinAppreciationDay'. This is while
Marc Abraham urged people to sign a petition to get the event cancelled.
The venue
said: 'Penguin Awareness Day at QUEENS has been cancelled. The event was
intended as a non-profit, educational & accessible experience to increase
awareness and education about this beloved engaged sea-bird, with monies to be
raised for BirdLife International. 'Sadly due to the concerns raised by various
animal protection groups including PETA & Freedom for Animals – we have had
to cancel the event in the interest of the penguins & our guests.'
Ed note: I should think so too. Appalling idea.
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