I saw an orca in captivity. Once. And though the park isolated paying customers from the most obvious suffering of the animals, my visit showed me that I never wanted to see one in captivity again. If we [people] did leave those parks with a new appreciation for the creatures, youd see crowds immediately forming to free them. If marine parks honestly wanted to give more people the experience of seeing marine mammals, why arent they (worst case scenario) kept and viewed in large, netted off coves? Why are they in tiny concrete tanks doing tricks for the crowd? Its a [lucrative] money game. Any box turtle can see that. ---Millions of SeaWorld visitors, Jacobs wrote to CNN, “have experienced killer whales in a way that is personal, enriching and inspirational,” adding that it is “our hope” that every SeaWorld visitor will leave the park “with a greater understanding of and appreciation for all the animals we display, including killer whales.” -And while SeaWorld is certified by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, meaning they meet minimum conservation requirements, during the several times I [Kirby] visited the park to research my book, I heard virtually nothing that would educate people about killer whales in the wild, how long they live, their social bonds, their hunting patterns, and ways to conserve their threatened natural habitats. Instead, I “learned” that whales like blaring music, roaring crowds, back-flips and French kissing. -In Killer Controversy: Why Orcas Should No Longer Be Kept in Captivity, Dr. Naomi Rose writes “The science is in, and we should realize that nothing—not profit, not education, not conservation – can justify keeping this large, social, intelligent predator in a small box.” Her paper highlighted “the growing body of scientific evidence showing that orcas do not adapt to captivity,” including the example of captive female orcas giving birth too young and too often, which lead to a higher death rate for both mother and child.
Posted on: Sun, 27 Oct 2013 01:04:49 +0000
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