fuckyeahanimalactivism:

That’s what happens when people forget that, no matter how “well trained” an orca is, it’s still a wild animal by nature.  ”If you read the autopsy, or now some of the actual OSHA memo on the attack has been released, it was a very brutal attack.  It was purposeful, he continued to ram her after she was already lifeless.” (David Kirby)  Killer whales in the wild often “play” with their prey before actually consuming it.  They can be seen tossing seals, porpoises, and fish; pushing them around on their heads; and literally playing with their food.  Even fish-eating whales can be seen playing with harbor porpoises just for the heck of it.  This doesn’t sound like unusual behavior.  The only difference in this case, is that the trainer happened to be the closest thing to a seal, and captive whales live in such deprived conditions that Tilikum was probably just looking for some fun.  

There’s a whole lot of talk about “who’s fault was it?”  Well, how about instead of picking someone to blame, we try to fix the bigger issue: killer whales should not be held captive, exploited for human entertainment, and forced to live in horrendously unnatural conditions.  This wasn’t the first trainer death, and as long as the whale shows continue, it won’t be the last.

Some good quotes:

Carol Ray, former SeaWorld trainer: “One of the most important things we’ve learned from having these animals in captivity is that they’re not suitable to have in captivity… The fact of the matter is, I don’t think there is a safe way to have humans interacting in close proximity with these whales.”

David Kirby, author of Death at SeaWorld: “There’s just nothing to compare a captive killer whale with a wild killer whale… I think these whales are so smart, so attached to their families, so wide free-ranging, and so acoustically oriented, that when they are kept contained and confined in a small concrete pool, it is stressful for them…”

8 months ago  /  6 notes  /  Source: fuckyeahanimalactivism