Petition opposing the encounter was signed by more than 600 people in 24 hours
Shoppers will no longer see penguins at Touchwood this winter.
Solihull's giant Touchwood mall has cancelled a kids' Penguin
Encounter event amid a furious backlash from animal rights campaigners.
The event was scheduled for December 20 and promised to "educate and delight children" about endangered Humboldt penguins.
But shopping centre bosses cancelled it after hundreds campaigned against it.
More than 600 people signed an online petition over the last 24 hours, demanding the event be scrapped.
Others took to Facebook to vent their disapproval.
Derby
Animal Rights, which co-ordinated opposition to the event, said: "As
well as welfare concerns, using wild animals as a form on
‘entertainment’ sends out the wrong educational messages to the public,
in particular children. Touchwood says it had hoped the event would raise awareness about the low numbers of wild Humboldt penguins.
"Animals like penguins do not belong on a High Street in the
UK and this event does nothing to teach about conservation or respect
for species and habitats."
One protester wrote on Facebook: "Shame on you Touchwood.
"You are exploiting wild animals for your own gains."
Another posted: "Seriously?
"Have some respect for these animals - they are not toys to be shunted around for entertainment value."
Touchwood announced the cancellation on its Facebook page at around 2pm on Monday.
It said it had listened to the concerns expressed. The event was set to take place in Library Square.
A statement read: "It is with regret that we have taken the
decision to cancel the Penguin Encounter, scheduled to take place
outside in Theatre Square at Touchwood on Sunday December 20.
"This educational encounter has been held at Touchwood for the past three years.
"We are proud to have helped draw the public’s attention to
the wonderful Humboldt Penguin species, which in its natural habitat is
endangered.
"We had hoped to raise yet more awareness this year,
but the purpose of the encounter has been misunderstood by animal rights
lobbyists.
"We sincerely apologise for any disappointment caused
to the many children and families who were due to join us for what is
always an informative day."
Humboldt penguins generally live in coastal Peru and Chile in South America.
The
International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of endangered
species rates the species as "vulnerable" - one stage from being
endangered.
The Penguin Camera is located on Torgersen Island (64°46’S, 64°04’W), off the coast of Anvers Island and less than a mile from Palmer Station. Torgersen Island is home to a colony of Adélie penguins numbering approximately 2,500. This camera is seasonal and operates primarily from October to February, the Adélie breeding season. The camera is solar-powered and may sometimes experience brief outages due to inclement weather. School classrooms and other educational demonstrations will often take control of the camera, moving it to gain better views of the colony.
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