Captured Whale

[Golden Girls]

A five-tonne orca named Tillikum "Tilly" was captured in 1983 off the coast of Iceland and lived for 9 yrs at Sealand BC then sold in 1992 to Seaworld Orlando as a stud after he killed a man in 1991. Then killed a trainer in 1999 and now another trainer yesterday.

How many people do you think you'd kill if you were forced to live in a bathtub for 27 years


SeaWorld 'killer whale' incident gives parents pause
The 'killer whale' accident at SeaWorld Orlando has some parents questioning the value of bringing children to zoos and animal parks
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society...-parents-pause

SeaWorld will keep whale despite trainer's death
Despite calls to free or destroy the animal, SeaWorld said Thursday it will keep the killer whale that drowned its trainer, but will suspend all orca shows while it decides whether to change the way handlers work with the behemoths
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100225/...dvcmxkd2lsbA--

[aslan]

oh i know eh,,hmmm maybe letting him free would be a brilliant idea..just amazes me,,hmmm i wanna see a killer whale,,lets trap one and train it and keep him in captivity forever..where do humans get off.. good for you Tillikum...

[cell]

Take your kids on a whale watching tour to see the magnificence of nature at its finest.

[luckypenny]

As sad as it is that this whale has lived in captivity for so long, I feel awful for the trainer who died. All life is precious and to lose one so tragically hurts my heart .

[t.pettet]

Anyone know of a petition to free Tilly? All those places should be shut down, animals kept in confinement and forced to perform for our entertainment

[Melinda]

they announced tonight that they are going to continue working with this whale....why not...there are tons of people lined up to become trainers....whats a few more deaths?? As long as our kids see the pretty whales....whats that? its your kids bday??? sure..bring him/her down and let the whale give them a birthday kiss.............how many times have we seen that commercial where the whale "kisses" the kiddies at pool side........

my prayers are with the trainers family at this horrible time

[catlover2]

A tragedy for sure for the family of Dawn Brancheau who was a lifelong animal lover and realized her dream of working with marine animals. But they don't call orcas "Killer Whales" for nothing. They have a high prey drive and on occasion a person does look like a seal!

[happycats]

I don't think releasing him to the wild would be an option, since the only thing he would porbably be able to "catch" to eat would be humans, so he would be killed for sure in the wild.

He sould be retired to a large retirement enclosure...preferably a sectioned off area in it's natural habitat.

It's so sad, they weren't meant to "preform" for our entertainment nor were they meant to be kept in tanks!!

[Golden Girls]

Agree Happycats and until we as a whole find another way to entertain ourselves and our children other then pay these places to exploit them it will continue.

The price we pay for caging whales ~ Martha Holmes ~ Marine Biologist and wildlife film maker
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ging-them.html

[BenMax]

It is very sad indeed. . I hope that they find this whale safe haven.

But sad also for the trainer and the family. I don't know how anyone could not feel some human emotions for this tragedy.

[Melinda]

this just in from CNN
-- SeaWorld to resume shows with killer whales Saturday, but trainers won't get into the water with the animals.

[Dog Dancer]

I feel terrible for the trainer and her family. They have my deepest condolences for their loss. The trainer died doing what she loved.

Most of us humans have had drastic changes of heart over the captivity of whales in the past 30 years. We know that releasing a captive whale into the wild is very rarely successful for the whale itself. (Hello!! Don't we bash people who ditch their cats or dogs to fend for themselves??)

I honestly, in my gut, believe that a large amount of the compassion society now has for these animals and our overwhelming desire to see them free stems from the fact we have seen them in captivity and how discontented we are with that. So sadly these whales have forfeited their freedom for the greater good maybe. Now as long as these whales are in captivity somebody has to care enough for them to work with them and keep their brains engaged. It may not be what they would do in the wild, but it's not entirely cruel.

With any luck we will live in a world one day where all wild animals are free. I believe that an injured animal that can't be rehabilitated into the wild should be kept in captivity, but only if all other options have been exhausted.

I don't approve of the breeding programs so that you can rear your own captive whales. No better than catching them as far as I'm concerned.

[t.pettet]

What gives the human race the right to capture wild creatures and hold them captive for the duration of their lives, what also gives these humans the right to exploit these creatures for monetary gain and human amusement. The trainer knew the risks involved, especially with this whale but she had to fulfill some misconception that she could master and control such a huge creature and where was her compassion when subjecting this whale to conform to the wishes/wiles of profiteering, side-show, idiots when he showed all the signs of frustration and stress and had been for years.

[cassiek]

I'm happy to see that many other people also feel the same way as I do about this issue. While I do feel very sorry for the trainer's family & friends, and my thoughts are with them, a tragedy like this just makes me want to scream "Well what the hell did you expect??"

Again, it goes back to the same point: these are wild animals! Study after study has shown that the incidence of aggression (if you can even call it that) in wild animals kept in captivity is quite common... and really, should this surprise anyone? These are animals that travel many, many miles in one day that are being kept in a fishbowl! This is a 14,000 LB ANIMAL... what the $%^& is he doing being kept in a fishbowl?! It would be comparable to a human being kept in a bathroom their entire life! Wouldn't you start to go a little crazy too? True, we can train them and perhaps somewhat domesticate them, but essentially they are lacking the physical and emotional stimulation in their "mock" environments.

And yes to be fair, I will say some zoos, aquariums and groups of the like really do try to mock the animal's natural environment, feeding patterns etc. and in all fairness, some of the world's most incredible species would likely be extincit if it wasn't for zoos & some of their breeding programs, STILL I think it is time that we stand up for those that don't have a voice and demand that if these animals are to be kept in captivity, that certain standards must be met (i.e. physical space, feeding, social requirements etc.)

The same argument could be made for dogs... how many times do we hear of someone wanting to euthanize their dog because it bit their child? These are wild animals, and as such they have instincts and are not predictable at all times! Caution MUST be used all the time.

I am glad to hear that they are not putting him to sleep, but I still don't think being kept in captivity devoid of so many of their normal, natural surroundings is okay! But yes, releasing him into the wild at this point would be devestating... he has no survivial skills.

Arrrrgggghhh!

[Jenkinsdjtg]

Originally Posted by t.pettet

What gives the human race the right to capture wild creatures and hold them captive for the duration of their lives, what also gives these humans the right to exploit these creatures for monetary gain and human amusement. The trainer knew the risks involved, especially with this whale but she had to fulfill some misconception that she could master and control such a huge creature and where was her compassion when subjecting this whale to conform to the wishes/wiles of profiteering, side-show, idiots when he showed all the signs of frustration and stress and had been for years.

"Rights" are a human Virtue.

[luckypenny]

Originally Posted by Dog Dancer

The trainer died doing what she loved.

I believe that too.

Originally Posted by Dog Dancer

Most of us humans have had drastic changes of heart over the captivity of whales in the past 30 years. We know that releasing a captive whale into the wild is very rarely successful for the whale itself. (Hello!! Don't we bash people who ditch their cats or dogs to fend for themselves??)

I honestly, in my gut, believe that a large amount of the compassion society now has for these animals and our overwhelming desire to see them free stems from the fact we have seen them in captivity and how discontented we are with that. So sadly these whales have forfeited their freedom for the greater good maybe. Now as long as these whales are in captivity somebody has to care enough for them to work with them and keep their brains engaged. It may not be what they would do in the wild, but it's not entirely cruel.

Makes me think of the animals we choose to keep as companions. In addition, the study of marine mammals has taught us a great deal about behavior in both animals of all kinds including humans. The research and training of Karen Pryor at Sea Life Park in Oahu is what brought us the science of clicker training, a more humane way to teach/train/communicate with many species of animals including dogs...and humans too (eg TAGteach for children with autism).

Originally Posted by chico2

I read this morning that it was the trainers pony-tail that attracted the whale,the presumption is,the whale probably thought the pony-tail was a new toy.
With the trainer in the water,her pony-tail was floating on the surface.
I too feel for the family and the horror this woman must have experienced,she loved these animals.
I am certain,she like us,would have preferred to see them wild,in the oceans.
However since they are captive,I am certain she did what she could to help these massive,beautiful creatures....

That was my understanding of this tragic accident as well. Tillikum's actions were consistent with playing, not with anger.

[Golden Girls]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

That was my understanding of this tragic accident as well. Tillikum's actions were consistent with playing, not with anger.

You wouldn't catch me playing with a 5 tonne Dolphin.