"No More media attacks by PETA against SeaWorld"
- by: all SeaWorld lovers and supporters
- recipient: PETA's president and founder Ingrid Newkirk
"Since the the Feb.24th fatal killer whale attack at SeaWorld, PETA has attempted to form a media assault against SeaWorld over what has happened to it's trainer Dawn Brancheau by wanting to set Tillikum "free". PETA claims that SeaWorld "tortures" its animals by withholding their daily enrichment and medical needs. The group also wants to "free" Tillikum by having him removed from the park and be placed in a "return-to-the wild" program that would be "funded" and "supported" by PETA and other related groups. The fact is that freeing Tillikum will not help with anything for orcas are social mammals that live in matrilienal pods and they may not accept animals they have never been in contact with. For example, Free Willy star Keiko was never able to succesfully connect with a wild orca pod and since he had no pod that would allow him to hunt with, communicate, and connect with, he remained in human care during most of his journey to and in a natural habitat. While he spent five years in the ocean, he only spent a very short time on his own and away from humans. He died in Norway in 2003.
The last thing we would want for Tillikum is for his story to end up like Keiko's--wandering in the ocean podless and not being able to fully connect to a wild orca pod. Tillikum was collected from Iceland in 1983. He was soon moved to Sealand of Pacific in Victoria, British Colombia in Canada where he remained there until 1991. He was then moved to SeaWorld Orlando where he fathered 11 successful calves in which 9 are still alive. Over his lifetime, he has fathered a total of 13 successful calves and 10 are alive and well. This makes him the most succesfull breeding male orca in human care. He is also a grandfather to two calves as well--Trua and Nalani. Tillikum is believed to be 28-30 years old or equivalent to a 50-60 year old human. We believe that moving Tillikum to a "return-to-the-wild" program that would financed by animal rights group would not only stress Tilli out (he may experience stress as a result of a transport), but it would also provide extreme proproganada that would misguide audiences about releasing animals from human care.
PETA has also made a series of recent media assaults on SeaWorld. They were all attemptive publicity stunts.
* In August 2008, PETA announced it's desire to by the three SeaWorld parks, Discovery Cove, and Aquatica and replace the entire animal collection and replace them with "virtual reality" exhibits. It later turned out to be a publicity stunt.
*In July 2009, PETA attempted a media assualt on SeaWorld Orlando over the deaths of three bottlenose dolphins at Discovery Cove. The attempt was believed to have been unsucessfull.
* In the summer of 2009, PETA attacked singer and personality Jessica Simpsion over her concert/visit to SeaWorld San Antonio.
*On March 9th, 2010, PETA flown airplanes around all three SeaWorld parks, demanding SeaWorld to "release" all its animals while condeming them over Dawn Brancheau's death. At the same time, SeaWorld animal care specialists and veterinarians were rescuing a manatee in the Desoto Canal near Satellite Beach, Florida.
These media assualts made by PETA shows you that not only will the group do anything to seek media attention and photo opporutunities, but they will also spend donated money to make their own exercises in theatrics rather than helping animals in need.
Just to make matters worst about PETA, they have euthanized over 2,000 animals in 2008 alone. Over an 11 year period from 1998-2009, PETA has killed over 23,640 adoptable pets instead of finding homes for them. Learn more about it at http://www.virginia.gov/vdacs_ar/cgi-bin/Vdacs_search.cgi?link_select=facility&form=fac_select&fac_num=157&year=2008
We have to remember that PETA like all anti-cap organizations, have no control over what happens to Tillikum and the other orcas at SeaWorld lay in the hands of Blackstone Entertainment and they control what happens to their animals and know they will remain in human care for the rest of their lives. PETA and other related groups must remember that all because orcas are difficult to keep in human care and have different wants and needs comparing to other animals in captivity, does not mean that they should fight and cause other people to be all wounded up by the debate. The real answer on weather or not orcas should be in human care is that there is no answer to this question for good animal care is good animal care no matter what species you are dealing with so the opinions of activists who are opposed to the display of marine mammals in zoos and aquariums really do not matter at all. If PETA really cared about the captivity issue, then they should campaign on the following:
*Convince owners of poorly managed facilities in China, Russia, Mexico, and Argentina to improve their current living conditions for their animals.
*Find a way to help these facilities managed current animal inventories such as establishing new breeding programs, loan the animals to other facilities while their current homes undergo renovations, or build additional exhibits for surplus animals like the Miami Seaquarium, and SeaWorld have both done for their dolphin populations.
*Help the facilities use better training, husbandry, and vet care methods for their animals.
*Finally, establish new educational programs that focuses on the animals, animal care, animal training, marinelife conservation, and more. They can range from animal interaction programs, to rescue, research, rehab, and release programs.
An example of a facility that has improved their conditions for their dolphins is Marineland of Florida which is now called the Dolphin Conservation Center at Marineland. :http://www.marineland.net/images/DCC-aerial2.jpg
Overall, We should tell PETA this: There are animals in this world who are actually suffering but PETA, like many other related groups are just too busy trying to rid the world of zoos and aquariums. SeaWorld on the other hand has inspired so many people to know, love, and care about wildlife and protect our oceans. We have all even made connections with some of the animals and the people who know them best. As Jack Hannah recently said on CNN, "If it wren't for SeaWorld, the manatees would have become extinct 15 years ago.
Finally, it is important for all of us to remember that Dawn is in a better place now and it is time for this tragic moment and the media that it has received to all be put to rest. So please join in creating a petition against PETA. Thanks.
All sea world lovers and supporters"
Hello Ms. Newkirk,
We are very upset by all media attacks that your organization PETA has been making regarding the recent killer whale attack at SeaWorld Orlando on February 24th, 2010. The loss of senior marine mammal trainer Dawn Brancheau is a great loss for all who knew of her pretty well, and even the whales she has cared for throughout her career at the park are reported to be mourning her death too. However, this does not give anti-cap groups like yours should not be using this tragic incident as an agenda to pull captive marine mammals such as Tillikum out of zoological facilities they have known for most of their lives and put them in unaccredited and illegal return-to-the-wild programs. NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ) has stated in the past that all return to the wild programs must be for scientific and conservation purposes and not in the name of animal rights. Tillikum has been in human care in 1983 and has been living under SeaWorld's care since the 90's. He may not be able to survive without a pod. Killer whales are social animals and may not accept outsiders they have never had contact with. As for this media circus over Brancheau's death, it is time for it be put to rest and SeaWorld try the best they can to try to prevent future incidents and make the killer whale exhibit a better place for both the trainers, and the whales. Another thing, in some parts of the world, orcas are threatened by pollution, food loss, and affects by boat and Navy sonar. Many groups are tying to convince governments to establish critical habitats for orcas, protect their food source, and improve the waters they live in. Releasing Tilly would not be fair for both him and a threatened wild orca population.
It is imporantant to remember that all because orcas are difficult to keep in human care and have different wants and needs comparing to other animals in captivity, does not mean that they should fight and cause other people to be all wounded up by the debate. The real answer on weather or not orcas should be in human care is that there is no answer to this question for good animal care is good animal care no matter what species you are dealing with so the opinions of activists who are opposed to the display of marine mammals in zoos and aquariums really do not matter at all. If PETA really cared about the captivity issue, then they should campaign on the following:
*Convince owners of poorly managed facilities in China, Russia, the Middle East, Mexico, and Argentina to improve their current living conditions for their animals.
*Find a way to help these facilities managed current animal inventories such as establishing new breeding programs, loan the animals to other facilities while their current homes undergo renovations, or build additional exhibits for surplus animals like the Miami Seaquarium, and SeaWorld have both done for their dolphin populations.
*Help the facilities use better training, husbandry, and vet care methods for their animals.
*Finally, establish new educational programs that focuses on the animals, animal care, animal training, marinelife conservation, and more. They can range from animal interaction programs, to rescue, research, rehab, and release programs. There are animals in this world who are actually suffering but PETA, like many other related groups are just too busy trying to rid the world of zoos and aquariums. SeaWorld on the other hand has inspired so many people to know, love, and care about wildlife and protect our oceans. We have all even made connections with some of the animals and the people who know them best. As Jack Hannah recently said on CNN, "If it weren't for SeaWorld, the manatees would have become extinct 15 years ago.
Finally, it is important for all of us to remember that Dawn is in a better place now and SeaWorld did the best they could to help her out.
Thank You.
all sea world lovers and supporters
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