Look up “penguin” on encyclopedia.com and you’ll learn that the cuddly little bird’s natural enemies include the leopard seal, the killer whale and the Skua gull.
And now … P. Diddy?
The hip-hop mogul ruffled animal rights group PETA’s feathers last week by hosting a hotel-opening bash in Miami that put six live penguins on display, the New York Post reports.
The birds reportedly were plopped onto a floating plexiglass platform in the swimming pool. One partygoer told the Post the penguins huddled together in a corner facing away from the crowd, prompting some observers to yell, “Save the penguins!”
And if the prospect of listening to Diddy’s music all night wasn’t frightening enough, consider that Miami weather tends to be slightly warmer than what the birds are used to in Antarctica.
“They’re very sensitive to temperatures, so if it was as hot as we’ve heard, it’s a wonder they didn’t collapse,” PETA spokesman Michael McGraw said. “In any case, they were likely terrified.”
Of course, PETA has been known to squawk a little louder about animal mistreatment when celebrities are potentially involved. Diddy’s publicist, Rob Shuter, assured the Post that the penguins were not the entertainer’s idea, and a spokesman for the Hotel Victor, site of the party, said the penguins were “warm-weather” birds from South Africa “trained specifically for entertainment.”
———-
Edited by RedEye staff (ritaredeye@tribune.com)
