Here is a picture of a "killer whale" or the orca whale - as they are called - living in his natural environment in the ocean off Iceland. My topic for discussion today is beautiful creatures like this being exploited in captivity for the entertainment of gawking people at amusement parks and water parks while owners make a profit off them. I speak specifically of the recent events at SeaWorld where a killer whale in captivity killed his trainer.Tilikum is a 12.000 pound ocra whale - the biggest in captivity in the world - who killed his third trainer since he was captured 25 years ago off the coast of his birthplace - Iceland. Here he was master of his domain and head of a pod of whales who enjoyed the vastness of water and often swam over 100 miles a day. Today, Tilikum is encased in a concrete tank and performs in a side pool barely big enough for him to turn around. Imagine,if you can, an animal of this size living in this environment for over 25 years. It has been compared to keeping a 165 pound man swimming around in a bathtub for 25 years. As I watch Marlin daily swim from side to side of his fish bowl, I can only imagine the restrictiveness this whale must feel. Ocras are aggressive breeding marine mammals who usually head a social group. Isolating them from their own kind causes a very neurotic,aggressive creature. I watched two large lions in captivity at Sigfried and Roy's Garden in Las Vegas when I was there in January. Those two lions did nothing but pace back and forth in their pen all day....day after day.....while people like myself gawked at them. What kind of life is this for God's creatures? Places like Sea World and Sigfried and Roy's Garden are only interested in exploiting these animals for profit for their business and it is a very cruel way to make money. Animals kept in captivity for long periods of time become neurotic much like a man who is kept in solitary confinement for a long time. It is no wonder that they strike back occasionally. Tilikum has killed three times now and it is time the people at Sea World realized they need to make some changes before another fatality occurs. I realize the death of this recent trainer was probably an unintentional accident as Tilikum mistook the trainers ponytail for a toy - but she might be alive today if the whale was living where he belongs.
Releasing Tilikum into the ocean now would be like me dropping Sasha off beside the road and expecting her to fend for herself after 2 years of never being outside my door. Between finding food, predators, and traffic; she would never survive. Tilikum also could not survive now as he has no social group to attach to and would be constantly attacked by other predators in the ocean. He needs to be freed to live out his life in a marine sanctuary or sea pen, where he'd still have human attention and likely have other creatures to attach to and considerably more water to live in than he has now. Off the coast of South America, there are several marine sanctuaries for animals of this magnitude. Tilikum is 30 years old and it is time for him to live out his life in a retirement home. There are also wildlife santuaries for animals like the tigers and lions at Sigfried and Roy's Garden where these animals can experience their heritage lifestyle. If people want to see these majestic creatures, watch the History Channel where these animals are shown in their natural environment, go on a safari to Africa or go on a whale watcher's cruise. Let's get behind the effort to free up these creatures and stop using them to make profits.
9 comments:
Well, there you go!
I totally agree with your thoughts. However, there are many forms of animal abuse all around us, not just wild animals. Domestic pets are abused and tortured every day in this country. Just watch the shows on t.v. that show the animal control officers going into people's homes and taking out cats and dogs who have been horribly abused and living in their own filth. It's heartbreaking. I also do not believe that people should have dogs and cats in their apartments in the city unless they can get outside for fresh air and a walk every day. Yes, cats can go for a walk on a leash too. It isn't good for any pet to be cooped up in a couple of rooms 24/7 without being able to roam around outside or have a yard to run around in for exercise. This isn't abuse per se, but it is also a form of "captivity". NOT aimed at your situation, but I'm just saying....
Keeping Marlin in his 1-quart tank is captivity. Keeping Sasha in a 5 room apartment plus time on the patio during the summer is not captivity. Letting your pets poop on the sidewalk or other peoples lawns and not picking up after them irritates me. People who keep great danes in a 1-bedroom apartment like here is definitely cruel. Any large animal - wild or tame - should have plenty of room to move around and should be properly taken care of or you shouldn't have a pet.
Yes, keeping a cat in a city apartment is not quite as bad as a large dog obviously. I can't believe a landlord would even allow a great dane in a 1-bedroom apartment? However, I don't think that "time on the patio" is enough fresh air and exercise for Sasha. A little "walk" around the apartment complex a few times a week would be great for her and also for you as well. Also, if she was out of the apartment occasionally where she could see other people coming and going, she might not be so psycho when someone came to your apartment. It might help her to be a more social and relaxed kitty if you know what I mean.
Sorry - but you can't take a 2-year old cat and try to make them walk on a leash if they have never done it. I tried last summer and I won't "drag" her down the sidewalk. This is why I don't own a dog....because they DO have to be walked 1-2 times a day in all kinds of weather. No thank-you. I get plenty of walking between going to the trash/mail daily, walking on campus from quad to quad, walking to and from the bus stop twice a week, etc. FYI: My landlord doesn't care what size dog you have as long as you pay the $500 deposit and the extra $100 a month on your rental expense. I had to pay a $200 deposit for Sasha.
Just a PS....Have you ever tried to walk a cat??? Not as easy as it sounds and I don't know too many people who actually do that. Actually, I don't know ANYONE who has done that. Much like trying to walk a chicken on a leash....every which way but lose!!
No, I've never walked a cat, but where there's a will, there's a way I always say! Any animal can be trained IF you start them at an early age. That's one definite advantage of country living over city living - you don't have to worry about that kind of stuff. Our next-door neighbor's cat spends 2/3 of her life outside, and half of that is in our dooryard! She is the most loving, gentle, and carefree cat I've ever seen. She will walk right up to you and purr at you as if she is asking you to scratch her ears or pet her. She would probably walk right into our house if I let her. However, Maggie would not appreciate that I don't think!
Country living for small animals like cats can be dangerous also. Nana lost many cats at her home in NH from traffic and predators. All animals require a lot of care. We had a run for BJ -Pam's beagle - but we still had to clean up the poop. We used to let our dogs run free on the Old Bath Rd. until one got shot by a deer hunter. Sasha is in the safest environment she can be in - staying indoors and enjoying the fresh air on good days out on the patio. Even than I have to watch her that she doesn't get spooked by a dog in the area and jump over the railing.
Yes, I remember vividly when "She-She" got shot that day - it was horrible. My kids can't believe we actually had a dog named "She-She"! Enjoyed this discussion of whales and cats (sounds strange, eh!).
Post a Comment