Appeals court to hear case of Lolita, Miami Seaquarium’s killer whale

[d_legendary1]

Source: Miami Herald

A federal appeals court will entertain arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit challenging the captivity of Lolita, the killer whale who has performed at the Miami Seaquarium for decades.

Animal-rights activists have long argued that Lolita, captured in the Pacific Northwest decades ago, lives in a tank far smaller than those holding other captive killer whales. The Animal Legal Defense Fund and others sued the U.S. Department of Agriculture but lost.

Their appeal will be heard Tuesday morning in Miami by judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals of the 11th District.

Last month, federal authorities added the aging whale – who has been in captivity for more than 40 years – to the endangered species list, a protection given her wild family nearly a decade ago.



Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/environment/article16159679.html

[secondwind]

1. sad beyond words... poor creature :-(

[d_legendary1]

2. Watched Black Fish on Netflix two months ago

Pretty messed up what they are doing to these animals. I've only been to Miami Seaquarium once as a child. Have not gone back since.

[hamsterjill]

4. I love that Blackfish has raised awareness of the real conditions at these sea parks.

Sea World's attendance figures were down by 13% in 2014 after Blackfish aired.

While I don't think the whales currently in captivity need to be returned to the wild unless measures can be taken to give them appropriate survival skills again, I do know that they need much better conditions to live out their lives. Sea World needs to quit paying its CEO's massive millions and spend some of that money on the animals.

Sea World (and others like it) should also be prevented from capturing any new animals.

It's a good thing for the planet when humans learn to respect other creatures!

[d_legendary1]

5. According to Blackfish they can't hunt new whales

For captivity so they breed the ones they've already captured. Thus having an almost never ending supply of whales.

[hamsterjill]

8. Yes, a sad thing indeed.

Thus the need, the hope, and the movement to get better conditions for those orcas held in captivity.

[blackspade]

3. Imprisoning these whales is a tragedy.

It is like the living human museums of the late 1800s.
Disgusting.

[happyslug]

6. As a rule, animals kept in captivity live longer then animals in the wild,

But Killer Whales are the exception to that rule:

http://www.orcahome.de/lifeexpectancy.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive_killer_whales#Disease_and_reduced_lifespan

[The Stranger]

7. The analogy is to a human once free, then catpured and spending 40 years in a bathtub.

Please let whatever gods of justice there may be smile upon this creature, just one time.

[Hoppy]

9. Lolita should be sent to Utah, instead.

They now know how to handle killers.















Yes, Eleanor, it's scarcasm.