Trainer killed at Sea World

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   1974posted 15 years ago

   Sad story, you have to Google it for yourself.

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   rebekahELLEposted 15 years ago

   tragic, just read it in NYT.  I've seen those shows, you always wonder...  very sad.

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   Flightkeeperposted 15 years ago

   It's horrible.  Just goes to show that you can't take even zoo reared wild animals for granted.

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   sneakorocksolidposted 15 years ago

   Very, very sad.

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   Andrea Hanlyposted 15 years ago

   If a dog kills someone, it gets put down. If a whale does it, he lives to do it again, which this one apparently did. Makes no sense.

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      paul_gibsonsposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      what makes no sense Andrea? that the dog is put down or that the whale isn't? it really is all to do with our ambivalence with "nature"; on the one hand we love it, on the other it is damn scary at times. As I describe in my cougar epitaph hub, we want to keep the cuddly bits and eradicate whatever frightens us. It's ok that it lives and in the wild but not too close to me please... so we muddle along, torn between our love of nature, "animal rights", our need to be entertained and loved, and our desire to be "awed" but safe... As Obelix would say: "ils sont fous ces humains...

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      Rafiniposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      although unfortunate, it does actually make sense.
      a dog has access to the general population with or without fencing/leashes.  a whale doesn't.
      
      but this does go to show wild animals of any kind are dangerous and the people who work with them have to be aware of the dangers.

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      theherbivorehippiposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      It isn't the whale's fault.  This is what society gets for trying to use a wild animal for entertainment.  If the whale was to be put down you better believe protesters would be right there.  Humans don't have the right to kill an animal that was acting within its natural instinct.  These are wild animals.  People should stop trying to control something that isn't meant to control.  This includes zoos and circuses as well!

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   Hokeyposted 15 years ago

   I don't care how well you think you have trained it it is still a wild animal. 
   
   Not to be used for amusement. 

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      moonphlowerposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Exactly!!

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      Pani Midnyte Odinposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Agreed!
      
      Some animals are not meant for domestication, but people, for some reason, are always interested in figuring out ways to control other creatures. I enjoy watching television shows like "Big Cat Diaries" because the camera people do not interfere with their normal lives, but circuses and places like Sea World are rather upsetting.

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   Ghost32posted 15 years ago

   Remember "Free Willie"?  Not until that movie did I realize that those awesome top-fins of Orcas in captivitiy DROOP over time, while never-restrained, wild Orcas have fins that stand straight up. 
   
   Freedom is important to more than just humans, it would seem....

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   Tilecleaninghubposted 15 years ago

   If it was a dog then it would be put down that is for sure.  But it is a valuable asset.  Supposebly this is pretty much the stud whale that they use for getting female whales pregnant.  At first I thought they should just put it down but now I realize it is not the whales fault.  Also I also heard that the whale just pulled the females hair and thought this was a new toy.  Regardless it is cruel to keep whales in such a confined area.

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