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surprise - large predators kill things
Feb. 24th, 2010 08:29 pmNewsflash: Orcas are wild animals, not cute pets, no matter how much we would like to think otherwise. I feel dreadfully that this woman, with 16 years of experience, was killed by the animal she trained, but I'm very worried about how the park (and the public) will react toward the orca in question. We're talking about a 12,300-pound predator, not a goldfish, being kept in a small tank and fed dead food when all his instincts are to hunt and kill prey over a large territory. It's no wonder he's got a history of attacking trainers.
Don't get me wrong - I adore orcas, and I hate the bad reputation they've had in the past as vicious animals. But they are still predators. Furthermore, I'm going to go ahead and say that while I appreciate the wonders that live acts such as the one at SeaWorld have done for the public perception of the species, I do abhor what it's done to the individual animals involved - from what I've read, most of them are neither happy nor healthy in captivity, and it pains me to think of them like that.
That said, our local wild populations aren't doing very well, either, with boat traffic and pollution and other factors we don't yet understand. I really do worry for orcas - they're among the most noble and amazing animals in the world, I think, and they're having a very hard time of it in this modern world.
Don't get me wrong - I adore orcas, and I hate the bad reputation they've had in the past as vicious animals. But they are still predators. Furthermore, I'm going to go ahead and say that while I appreciate the wonders that live acts such as the one at SeaWorld have done for the public perception of the species, I do abhor what it's done to the individual animals involved - from what I've read, most of them are neither happy nor healthy in captivity, and it pains me to think of them like that.
That said, our local wild populations aren't doing very well, either, with boat traffic and pollution and other factors we don't yet understand. I really do worry for orcas - they're among the most noble and amazing animals in the world, I think, and they're having a very hard time of it in this modern world.
