Killer Whale Attack Accentuates Need for Personal Responsibility
History of Killer Whales Attacks in Captivity and the Denial of the Real Reason for the Attacks
I did some research to find out past incidents of attacks that have occurred during the last decade or so:
June 15, 1999 - SeaWorld, San Diego, CA - A killer whale attempted to bite a trainer during a show but the trainer escaped harm by quickly jumping out of the water.
July 5, 1999 - SeaWorld, Orlando, FL - The body of a 27-year-old man was found on the back of an orca in a tank in what suspiciously appeared to be the work of the killer whale's rough treatment. The man had jumped into the tank after the park closed when the orca "roughed him up".
July 26, 2004 - SeaWorld, San Antonio, TX - A trainer namedSteve Aibel, who was hit multiple times was the victim of a killer whale's "adolescent hormones".
November 30, 2006 - SeaWorld, San Diego, CA - A 5000-pound killer whale attacked an experienced trainer and dragged him to the bottom of the water park's pool. The trainer, Ken Peters, was only able to free his mouth by stroking the orca's back multiple times. Mr. Peters was lucky to only suffer a broken foot from the incident.
April 10, 2007 - SeaWorld, San Diego, CA - A 35-year-old trainer was taken to a hospital for examination of injuries after a 5900-pound killer whale bumped her.
Clearly, incidents with killer whales in captivity is not unprecedented and have happened several times during the last decade. It is actually surprising to me that it does not occur more frequently with all the shows that SeaWorld puts on day in and day out in all of their parks.
What I find totally absurd is an attempt to rationalize animal attacks by attributing human emotions or moods to these creatures. For example, according to an article entitled SeaWorld Resumes Shows After Orca Incident published in 1999 by the Associated Press, here is the reason given by a trainer after the 2006 incident: "the animal may have been put out by a spat with another whale, grumpy because of the weather or irritable from a stomach ache." Some mornings they just wake up not as willing to do the show as others..." Sounds like some of us before we have had our morning coffee!
Please, let's stop trying to personify and blame a killer whale for being what it is meant to do - act like the predator it is! When we take these animals and place them in an artificial, human-controlled environment they may (and will) act in unpredictable ways, despite all the training given them.
While I am sad that for the trainers that are hurt and are killed, they - as well as the corporate entities that employ them - must accept full responsibility and accept the risk they take every time they and their patrons get near killer whales.
References:
msnbc.com staff and news service reports, Performing killer whale attacks trainer, msnbc.com
Los Angeles Times staff, Killer Whale Tries to Bite Trainer at SeaWorld, L.A. Times Archives
AP Online staff, Killer Whale Knocks Trainer Off Wall, AP Online
Allison Hoffman, SeaWorld Resumes Shows After Orca Incident, Associated Press
Published by Lee Fecteau
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2 Comments
Post a CommentBothers me big time that wild animals are kept in captivity all their life and are exploited for the sake of "amusement" for us humans. It's just another way to make big business, nothing else. The ignorance of the trainers: THINKING they bond with the animals. It's sheer ignorance and arrogance also to treat them like their pet dogs or cats. Look at me... embracing this huge mighty animal. I'm in CONTROL (think again). I don't call this an attack at all, by the way. If it had been, he had ripped her to pieces like they do with seals in the wild. Sadly enough these animals can't even be set free. They are totally unable to take care for themselves in the wild.
I agree with your assessment and find it particularly alarming that the most recent incident involved a whale which had been the focus of at least two other death investigations - one with a trainer and the other of a man who may have fallen in the tank with no witnesses around (making it harder to determine the actual circumstances and whether the whale had attacked the man).