Following continued criticism that Orca (killer) whales in SeaWorld face mistreatment during their captivity and shows, SeaWorld is announcing this week that the water entertainment park will no longer be breeding Orcas and that the current generation it has in captivity will be its last.
"SeaWorld has introduced more than 400 million guests to orcas, and we are proud of our part in contributing to the human understanding of these animals," said Joel Manby, President and Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Entertainment, Inc. "As society's understanding of orcas continues to change, SeaWorld is changing with it. By making this the last generation of orcas in our care and reimagining how guests will encounter these beautiful animals, we are fulfilling our mission of providing visitors to our parks with experiences that matter."
Separating young calves from their mothers at a young age is just one of the many things animal rights activists find striking about the treatment of the animals by SeaWorld.
Despite attempts from animal rights activists to have the captive Orcas released into the wild, SeaWorld claims that having been used to being captive for so long, they wouldn’t be able to survive on their own. Therefore, the park feels it’s responsible to provide them with a full life by taking care of them in-house and they’ll remain in the parks for their own safety.
SeaWorld has reportedly cooperated with animal rights groups to come up with these new ideas and policies, and as a result of them, SeaWorld just might gain “renewed interest” from those who were boycotting the park due its supposed mistreatment of Orca whales.
Notably, SeaWorld will be putting an end to Orca shows as early as 2017, but even though the shows may end, SeaWorld will continue to have its small family of Orcas in its waters.
There are possible talks about having the Orcas relocated to isolated areas in a natural oceanic environment, where not only would the animals get to experience a fuller life, but could also perform shows in a much more natural setting, rather than in an enclosed pool.
SeaWorld continues to take steps in the right direction to make its customers happy, and the changes its treatment to the environment and the animals who inhabit it are sure to put a smile on activists’ faces.
Source: SeaWorld Entertainment