Trainer killed at Seaworld

[ibj40]

Why should the whale (porpoise really) pay for the people's mistakes? It didn't ask to be captured or bred in captivity or treated as a show animal. It can't be released now, I'm sure, but it could be treated with enough respect that no one else gets killed.

I'm not necessarily opposed to keeping animals in captivity. It can serve a purpose and I haven't been to Sea World in 30 years so I don't know if they "do it right" or not. But I do know that when a captive wild animal does what comes naturally and "attacks" a human, it is not the animal's fault.

I could not agree more!

There are "humans" in captivity who have killed more than this mammal has, who will be coddled to perpetuity. Why should this magnificent specimen (hey, they were keeping him for reproduction!) be dispatched because it was exhibiting its natural tendencies?

Don't get me wrong, I feel, immensely, for the trainer and her family. There is no question that a tragedy occurred today; but do you treat the "murderer" in this case any differently than we treat mass murderers in the balance of this country? Sea World created this circumstance for its own business purposes. Why punish an innocent creature?

 

[DebbyDiver]

But to put him down...I think the Human Society, and PETA would side against that. Even though they are anti-captivity for whales, and dolphins.

As for PETA and the Humane Society - they can have their say if they are willing to ante up the bucks it costs for rehabilitation. Easily into several millions of dollars.

Oh, puh-leeze. PETA and HSUS (NOT to be confused with your local Humane Society...HSUS doesnt' give them a DIME) kill the dogs and cats entrusted to their care. If you give any money to them, please educate yourself. They are worse than your local municipal pound.

Do you know why PETA and HSUS exist? They are lobbying organizations. They don't give a flying phucht about animals. Do your research.

From someone who is heavily into animal rescue.

I now return you to Orca talk.

 

[lock_washer]

'As much as I like whales...this particular whale needs to be put down. The propensity for an intelligent animal to hurt again is pretty high. '

The other way round I think! Why should man ever be allowed to keep other animals in captivity merely for our pleasure? I think all zoos should be made illegal. Please dont start the 'breeding in captivity' argument, captivity is captivity, to be bred into captivity is still captivity, and captivity to please humans. Disgusting!

If you are so dead set against zoos...what do you want to do with all the animals then? Do you want to foot the bill to euthanize them all? Or do you want the expense of trying to rehab and try to release them back into the wild? Let see...there are about 44 killer whales in captivity today. At about 20 million dollars each (that's what the whole Free Willy/Keiko fiasco cost), we are looking at 880 million dollars just for trying to release killer whales. That cost doesn't including trying to release the dolphins, or beluga whales either.

Lock Washer

 

[mikeguerrero]

Shut down all zoos, is this the solution to the problem? With the recession we are in, what happens to all the individuals that lose their jobs?

We are quick to point fingers to both sides, what needs to take place is reformation; rules and regulations that change and reiforce best practices for both sides.

Let us be politically correct and make an informed decision that caters to both sides.

Much harder to find solutions to this mass problem that we have, but most are quicker to take the easier solution, close all zoos.

 

[lock_washer]

The bottomline: this is something that Sea World is going to have work out. They need to review their operating procedures, and make changes to avoid another incident with any of their killer whales.

Lock Washer

 

[gcbryan]

Shut down all zoos, is this the solution to the problem? With the recession we are in, what happens to all the individuals that lose their jobs?

We are quick to point fingers to both sides, what needs to take place is reformation; rules and regulations that change and reiforce best practices for both sides.

Let us be politically correct and make an informed decision that caters to both sides.

Much harder to find solutions to this mass problem that we have, but most are quicker to take the easier solution, close all zoos.

Jobs? What does this have to do with jobs? If it was decided that the right thing to do is to close down all zoos we would change our mind because jobs are lost?

What if it was determined that day care was harmful to children...would a reasonable argument be to keep them open because otherwise jobs would be lost?

People say that we should keep 400 pound gorillas sitting around in a cage all day for our amusement so that we will care about them?

We don't care about them when we do that. We shouldn't need to keep every animal in the world in a cage in order for us to care about them. Do we need polar bears at the Phoenix zoo in order for the people of Phoenix to care about them?

Orcas are on the Washington State endangered species list.

 

[StevenN]

Killer whales (Orcas) are at the top of the food chain to my understanding, I know of no other animal that preys on them.
Whatever your opinion is on keeping these animals in captivity there will be an occasional incident where the predator follows its instincts and kills no matter what animal it is. It eventually happens with tigers, lions and orcas or any other predator in captivity.
That being said, whenever one of these creatures attacks a human it should be put down immediately.
You can make an argument about whether they should be in captivity in the first place and there are many valid reasons to do so but I do think that when one of these animals attacks a human they should be put down.

 

[gcbryan]

Killer whales (Orcas) are at the top of the food chain to my understanding, I know of no other animal that preys on them.
Whatever your opinion is on keeping these animals in captivity there will be an occasional incident where the predator follows its instincts and kills no matter what animal it is. It eventually happens with tigers, lions and orcas or any other predator in captivity.
That being said, whenever one of these creatures attacks a human it should be put down immediately.
You can make an argument about whether they should be in captivity in the first place and there are many valid reasons to do so but I do think that when one of these animals attacks a human they should be put down.

I think there is a difference between an Orca attacking and a lion. An Orca is a much more intellegent animal and is much more selective in it's prey. I doubt if many of these deaths were a result of an Orca attacking prey. None of them resulting in a human being eaten. They were just playing too hard or were pissed off. You can't either domesticate or kill every animal in captivity.

Even with a animal who is considering a human as prey why kill it. Don't collect it and if you do accept the risk. Do you only accept animals in a zoo if they can be trained or domesticated?

 

[j_spot]

Terming this an attack is ENTIRELY wrong. If youve ever seen dolpins, orcas in the wild or in captivity you would realize that they are playful beings (yes, even orcas with their massive "killer size")

If this was an ATTACK as the media would have us believe, where is the predation? There isnt any. The trainer didnt die to an orca attack. The trainer died in an accident involving an Orca.

Its the same way many shark "attack" on humans are not predation but curiosity.

 

[vshearer]

Unless it's known that they "kill" simply for fun and that is somehow different than what other wild animals/mammals do? )

They do kill for fun. It was an attack. Premeditated murder. Read up on them.

( I might say justifiable homicide as it was being kept in captiivity.)