Marine mammals are some of the most charismatic creatures on
the planet and it is certainly understandable that people are drawn to them.
However, the safety and ethical concerns of keeping marine mammals in captivity
– as seen in the recent tragedy at SeaWorld with its orca Tilikum – raises an
important question: “Is our own entertainment worth it?”
Viewing captive animals gives the public a false picture of
the animals’ natural lives. The truth is that marine mammals suffer many
physical and behavioral side effects from being in captivity. For example, in the
wild, nearly every kind of marine mammal travels large distances daily in a
search for food. In captivity, natural feeding and foraging patterns are
completely lost. Stress-related conditions such as ulcers; stereotypical
behaviors including swimming in circles and self-mutilation; and abnormal
aggression within groups frequently develop because the whales are denied the
opportunity to hunt. Other natural behaviors, such as those associated with
dominance, mating and maternal care, are altered in captivity, which can have a
substantial impact on the animals.
As for Tilikum’s future, WSPA firmly believes that each
individual animal should be assessed on a case-by-case basis on whether or not
they can be released back into the wild. At the very least, WSPA recommends
that SeaWorld work with marine mammal behavior experts to evaluate whether
Tilikum is fit for rehabilitation and reintroduction to the wild and, in the
meanwhile, not make this animal perform for human entertainment. However, it is
important that we all learn from this tragedy, focus on putting an end to
marine mammal captivity and – in turn – prevent another incident from occurring
in the future.
For more information on marine mammal captivity, please feel free to reference The Case Against Marine Mammals in Captivity, a report compiled by WSPA and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS.)
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