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...