Posted on 03/30/2011 8:50:08 AM PDT by JoeProBono
The killer whale who mauled and drowned a female trainer at Orlando's SeaWorld last year will begin performing in front of crowds again on Wednesday.
Tilikum will participate in the park's main killer whale show, titled "Believe," SeaWorld officials said.
The whale has not performed since Feb. 24, 2010, when he snatched trainer Dawn Brancheau from a shallow pool ledge and thrashed her around underwater, killing the 40-year-old in front of a horrified audience.
The deaths made headlines worldwide, led SeaWorld to spend millions making safety upgrades and sparked federal and civil lawsuits against the water park.
SeaWorld Animal Training Curator Kelly Flaherty Clark said returning to performing was important to the animal's health.
"Participating in shows is just a portion of Tilikum's day, but we feel it is an important component of his physical, social and mental enrichment," Clark said in a statement.
SeaWorld said it has made adjustments to the way trainers interact with Tilikum.
For example, trainers would work with him from a distance and use high pressure water hoses to give him massages instead of their hands.
The six-ton bull orca's return to the stage comes at a delicate time for the company.
It is fighting a $70,000 citation from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration that accused the company of willfully endangering the lives of its killer whale trainers........
(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...
“... we try to keep them in captivity and have them perform stupid tricks..”
Agreed! A wild animal behaved like a wild animal (killing the trainer) and people are confused? SeaWorld has decided to give a KILLER WHALE another try... at what? Performing for an audience? I personally think that they looked at the cost of training another whale and decided that it was a “good business” decision to keep this one. Stupid!
The trainers no longer go near the water when the whales are out, and they’ve also developed a new show which is to start soon designed without interaction (since the previous show just isn’t the same with the new restrictions).
Why?
“trainers would work with him from a distance and use high pressure water hoses to give him massages instead of their hands”
Like Selma Alabama? People, dogs, killer whales,,,shoot a water hose at em, and they always think how fun you are!
“Killer Whale Trainer” has got to be right up there with “Javelin Catcher”.
Why isn’t this thing between bread in Japan or somewhere? Idiots.
Seriously, I assume the hose is shot into the water and not at the animal. Its not a good idea to hit your prime money maker in the eye with a high pressure stream.
Or at least released back to the wild
That’s going to leave a mark!
It shouldn’t be necessary to have to tell the trainers that this isn’t a cocker spaniel, and its called “Killer” whale for a reason.
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Yes, I am sure you are correct, that the trainers of these bus sized, 12,000 pound animals are entirely unaware of the risks involved.
You’re right, it should not be necessary, and guess what? It isn’t. They know it, and they know it a whole heck of a lot better than you or I do. Just like we know our jobs better than those who have never done them.
I’m sure you’d enjoy having a trainer of killer whales comment on the parts of your job about which they think you are clueless (even though they’ve never done that job).
Perhaps.
But I can think of at least one killer whale trainer who is unavailable to educate me.
I think skeeter does touch on something. It isn’t uncommon for animal trainers to let their guard down, especially the ones that deal with the er...”intelligent” species.
You don’t often see people who work with gators, snakes and such lose their focus, but when dealing with animals like elephants, dolphins, wolves, chimps and the like, some trainers develop a personal relationship with the animal, and they forget.
I can see the temptation to do so. And all it takes is an animal to have a tantrum just once. Heck, look at Roy Horn who got his throat ripped open by a tiger. All it takes is once...
nice post...most here will scratch heads..lol but I thought it cogent
Thanks...apparently, elephants can be one of the most intelligent and endearing animals to train, but when they get pissed off ,they actually have killed trainers by a somewhat unique method-they use their head to crush them.
I know a woman who works with elephants, and her father told me that she keeps one wary eye on them all the time.
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