SeaWorld sued over 'enslaved' killer whales

To be honest I'm not totally comfortable with whales in captivity, they are taken from the wild and would normally live in family groups and travel many miles. To be kept in a small (to them) tank after the freedom of the ocean is little better than imprisonment.

Horses have been domesticated for a long time, can still live in 'herds' and receive sufficient exercise and turnout, if a horse was kept in a loose box all its life then there might be an issue.

I can see where you are coming from though.
 
tallyho! said:
Yes, one of the horses has kicked me, the other bucked me off... I'm going to call MY lawyers!
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I was actually thinking along the lines of what touchstone has said. I don't know anything about killer whales but perhaps its behaviour suggests it's not suited to its current environment?
 
RobinHood said:
So Tilikum has killed one trainer and been involved in the death of 2 others :confused:
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The deaths were well-documented over the years.

I think the word "enslaved" is maybe a bit OTT but I can't say i really agree with these animals being kept how they are just in the name of entertainment. When you think of the distances they travel in the wild compared to the tiny little tanks they are kept in in captivity it's hardly really fair is it?

Horses and dogs have been domesticated for hundreds of years - you can't really compare them so not sure why they make the comment re sniffer dogs.
 
Whales in captivity is not right imo. They are highly social creatures with a hugely complex social structure. They are not domesticated.
 
Quite right, I don't agree with captivity either... however, I don't think these whales would survive in the wild now unless they were adopted by a nice family pod or their original pod recognised them which they prob won't... then, the japanese might eat them... would it be cruel to release them after so long?

As for horses, some are kept in "captivity" all their lives. They deserve a lawsuit too!
 
Nope, LadyT Horses and dogs have been domesticated for 1000s of years, without us they would not be around in the state we know now, as we would have hunted them to extinction had they not had a purpose for us.

Horses are also of huge benefit to us as they are also land mammals, not much use for something that lives in water is there.

I think this is a great step for PETA, and a way of further highlighting the plight of this size of animal being kept in inadequate conditions. They know it won't go much further, but they are there to highlight the issues to the general (moronic) public, and much of the time imho they do a good job.

Killer whale - d'oh, keys in the name ;)
 
The whales already in captivity probably and realistically couldn't be released to the wild. I can't bear PETA however I am an avid boycotter of SeaWorld. Some of the exhibits are acceptable to me but the keeping of the Orcas definitely isn't. Any animal lovers who have seen the pools in which these magnificent creatures live in couldn't, in all conscience, say or think that this is right surely? My hope is that SeaWorld doesn't invest in buying any more Orcas but perhaps that is just wishful.
 
ladyt25 said:
Horses and dogs have been domesticated for hundreds of years - you can't really compare them so not sure why they make the comment re sniffer dogs.
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PETA will, and all ready DO most of the time.
IF by some chance they got a sympathetic judge who decided they could see some merit in the case it would be a bloody nightmare!
They are trying to argue that keeping animals for our own needs and wants is not only wrong but slavery-do you think of your pet dog or horse that way?
Please forget that we are talking about orca's here, PETA have long argued the case that all animals should all be turned loose to enjoy their rightful freedom :rolleyes: just imagine what would happen if they ever got their way :o

PETA do not have a history of sanity or of sensible,logical thinking. I really don't think they would make a distinction between a much loved pet and a high profile exhibit at sea world.
 
Spring Feather said:
The whales already in captivity probably and realistically couldn't be released to the wild. I can't bear PETA however I am an avid boycotter of SeaWorld. Some of the exhibits are acceptable to me but the keeping of the Orcas definitely isn't. Any animal lovers who have seen the pools in which these magnificent creatures live in couldn't, in all conscience, say or think that this is right surely? My hope is that SeaWorld doesn't invest in buying any more Orcas but perhaps that is just wishful.
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This ^^. I think a lot of what PETA stand for / campaign for is a complete joke (anybody remember their Sea Kitten campaign?!), however I can't stand the thought of Orcas being kept in captivity. Just look at the migration patterns of whales, any animal that travels those distances as part of their natural breeding cycles should not be expected to live in a tank. I agree that these whales realistically not be appropriate for release, however I hope one day people will start to realise that these animals shouldn't be expected to live in such conditions and Sea World et al will respond accordingly.

Horses and other domesticated animals are a completely different matter and I don't think we can compare the two.
 
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