06/08/2012 by Alan Cole in the UK
Penguin needs to meet the Gherkin says Zoological charity...That's the plans of the ZSL, the Zoological society of London, the charity responsible for London Zoo as well as a number of conservation initiatives....
Penguin fans at ZSL London Zoo want to transform one of London's best known landmarks into a giant penguin...
City building the Gherkin formally known as 30 Mary Street Axe, is one of London's tallest and most prestigious business HQs developed on the site of the former Baltic shipping exchange and designed by Norman Foster...
The business premises famous for the setting of Sky TV's flagship Jeff Randall business programme on Sky News; as well as housing Swiss RE the insurer, has the uncanny likeness to a gigantic ornate gherkin...
But could quite easily pass as a penguin with the appropriate treatment to the exterior says ZSL...
London Zoo has been in talks to superimpose a huge image of a penguin on to the building during the Olympics to promote its conservation efforts and Olympic tie in at the zoo, which has recently seen the zoo install a diving board for its penguins...
Emma Edwards of London Zoo says: "We don't want anyone to miss our penguins and they certainly wouldn’t be able to miss this one looming over the capital..."
The zoo with perhaps the most zany charity campaign idea launched this year, thinks the penguin would be an outstanding addition to the London skyline...
"...penguins are a lot more interesting than gherkins!" added the zoo's spokesperson...
London Zoo has been granted official London Olympics Inspire status for its non-profit work...
Inspire programmes allow organisations such as the zoo to link their work to the Olympics 2012 for mutual benefit...
As part of the zoo's Olympics campaign it has been offering daily Animal Athletes live demonstrations including Bob a burrowing owl...
While its new Penguin Beach feature recreates a South American beach landscape with colonies of Humboldt penguins.
There is a more serious side of course as Humboldt penguin populations are in need of conservation...
ZSL promotes conservation programmes and aims to establish awareness about the need to protect breeding sites...
Of the penguin's diving board, head bird keeper, Adrian Walls said: "The penguins love nothing more than to show off their diving skills...
"We installed it at the deepest point of their pool, right above the underwater viewing areas, so got to see them really giving Tom Daly a run for his money."
Wallace and Gromit eat your heart out...
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