Washington, D.C. — An 18-year-old orca named Unna died at SeaWorld San Antonio yesterday, marking the third death of a marine mammal at that park in the past six months. Born Free USA reports that this tragedy reinforces the cruel unsuitability of captivity for marine mammals and highlights the ongoing suffering of the 24 orcas who remain in tanks in the U.S.[teaserbreak]
According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA and Born Free Foundation, “We urge SeaWorld to yield to public sentiment and the welfare of the orcas, and end marine mammal captivity for good. An infant beluga died at SeaWorld San Antonio in July, and a two-year-old beluga died there in November. Now, Unna has died at less than half her normal lifespan. How long must we continue to witness these tragedies before something changes?”
“Unna suffered in a concrete tank for the entirety of her tragically short life. Every aspect of her daily existence was manipulated for showmanship and greed. She never had the chance to swim 100 miles per day in the open ocean or nurture relationships with a family pod. These remarkably intelligent animals, languishing in dismal pools across the country, are not ours to use for entertainment,” Roberts explains.
SeaWorld’s empty promises to improve its facilities clearly cannot diminish the fact that captive orcas are susceptible to a range of ailments and issues that cause suffering and drastically shorten their lifespans. In the wild, the average lifespan is 30 years for males and 46 years for females, although they have been known to live 90 years. In captivity, most die before they reach the age of 25 in tanks that are only 1/10,000th of one percent the size of their natural home ranges. Orcas placed together in captivity are often from different pods, do not speak the same language, and can become territorial and even violent. Mental anguish takes a severe toll, too, and orcas have been known to self-mutilate out of boredom and desperation.
Roberts says, “This is not a problem that a bigger tank or a different style of performance can fix. The only solution is to empty the tanks and end the exploitation of killer whales.”
Born Free USA is a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation”—the vision of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son, Will Travers. Born Free’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.
Media Contact: Rodi Rosensweig, 203/270-8929, therodicompany@gmail.com