What This Veterinarian Found at SeaWorld San Antonio

Posted August 11, 2015 by Kim Johnson

A recent visit to SeaWorld San Antonio by veterinarian Dr. Heather Rally exposed the health problems with confining animals and then denying them everything that is natural and important to them.

Many of the animals confined at SeaWorld—including beluga whales, orcas, bottlenose dolphins, and sea lions—die before their time in chlorine-filled tanks.

Beluga Whales

The recent death of a baby beluga whale at SeaWorld San Antonio may have hit the media, but one fact that SeaWorld doesn’t want you to know is that since 1993, more than a dozen other beluga whales have died prematurely at this Texas location alone.

Orcas

Six orcas are housed at SeaWorld San Antonio. Why were only five of them observed during shows?

Collapsed Dorsal Fins

As observed by Dr. Rally, every single captive adult male orca has a collapsed dorsal fin, a condition that rarely occurs in wild orcas and is believed to result from a combination of limited space and extended time spent at the surface. In the wild, it may be a sign of an unhealthy, stressed orca.

Kyuquot is the largest orca at San Antonio and has a completely collapsed dorsal fin.

At the show, Dr. Rally notes that SeaWorld misrepresented orca expert Dr. Ingrid Visser’s 1998 study on wild orcas in New Zealand to support a false claim that collapsed dorsal fins are as common in wild orcas as they are in captivity. However, as Visser and her paper made clear, only one orca out of 30 males had a complete dorsal fin collapse like Kyuquot’s. In another population in Norway, only one of 174 adult males had a dorsal fin that was collapsed or bent in any way.

This wasn’t the first time that SeaWorld has twisted Visser’s findings. Back in May 2014, it used her own research to respond inaccurately to her question regarding Blackfish in its #AskSeaWorld campaign.

Rake Marks

The most common form of injury is when the teeth of dominant orcas scrape the skin of less aggressive animals. In the wild, orcas maintain tight-knit social groups consisting of compatible orcas, and if necessary, orcas can swim away to avoid aggressive attacks by more dominant animals—but in captivity, there’s no way for orcas to escape. This can result in painful, serious injuries and chronic stress, which were seen in several of the orcas performing at SeaWorld.

Dental Trauma

Many orcas at SeaWorld have worn or broken teeth—mostly from biting on the gates and sides of the cramped tanks that surround them.

Dr. Rally notes that in order to prevent death by infection, captive facilities often drill holes into the pulp cavities of broken or worn teeth in order to open them enough to be flushed and cleaned daily for the rest of the animal’s life. This has historically been done without sedation and is very likely painful to the animals. This type of dental trauma and wearing of the teeth is highly uncommon in orcas living naturally in the wild.

Family Structure

At SeaWorld, many calves have been torn away from their mothers, which can cause significant social and psychological problems for the rest of their lives. Orcas in the wild live in pods, which are bonded groups of up to 30 orcas—including mothers and their offspring—who may travel together for their entire lives.

Dr. Rally observed this orca, believed to be Takara, performing tricks for entertainment with her calf Sakari. They haven’t been separated yet, but they could be. Takara has had two calves separated from her before—including Trua, who was observed in isolation at SeaWorld Orlando—and was separated from her own mother after 12 years.

© iStock.com/hanhanpeggy

 Seals and Sea Lions

“Seals and sea lions are housed in a small open-air enclosure without any shade. They spend a significant amount of their time begging for food from members of the public who are encouraged to purchase fish to feed to them.” – Dr. Heather Rally

Eye Injuries

At SeaWorld, there’s little shade above or below the surface of the water where animals can retreat from the scorching sun. Lack of shade can cause myriad health problems, including sunburn, stress, and ocular damage.

Dr. Rally writes, “The enclosure is constructed such that the perimeter wall where food is being presented is high and directly above the water where the animals swim. This means that the animals are forced to look directly up into the sunlight in order to beg and/or catch food.”

One scientific study determined that a lack of ultraviolet-protected shade is a risk factor for ocular disease in sea lions. The lack of shade in this enclosure, coupled with the fact that animals are forced to look directly into the sunlight when begging for fish, puts animals at a higher risk for ocular damage and disease, which are common in captive seals and sea lions.

What You Can Do

Based on the observations and expert opinion of veterinarian Dr. Heather Rally, PETA has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding numerous apparent violations of the federal Animal Welfare Act. PETA urged the agency to inspect SeaWorld Antonio and hold the company accountable for any violations.

Never go to any SeaWorld park and urge your friends and family to stay away, too!  Spread the word that animals are not ours to use for “entertainment”:

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/veterinarian-seaworld-san-antonio/#ixzz3iigjIITe

What happens when animals are released from captivity -

Posted July 22, 2015 by Lily Trahan

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’re probably aware of all the awful things that SeaWorld does to the animals it holds captive. But it isn’t just SeaWorld—other marine parks as well as aquariums and zoos treat animals terribly, too!

NO species exists just to be locked up, whether animals are born into captivity or not, plain and simple. All living beings—human or not—deserve to be left alone so that they can fully enjoy life in their natural habitats with their families. Facilities like zoos and aquariums rob animals of these opportunities and everything that’s natural and important to them, which is why it’s crucial to speak out and call on these businesses to free suffering animals.

Now, people sometimes question what would happen to animals after they’ve been freed and if it’s even possible for them to survive. Well, we have the answers:

Where would these animals go?

If animals were released from these types of facilities, they could be sent to true sanctuaries where they’d be able to live in an appropriate habitat. They’d receive care and support while still being able to enjoy what’s natural and important to them. Most importantly, they’d no longer be treated as nothing more than a way to make money.

After years in captivity, Sunder enjoys the sanctuary life!

Do places like aquariums and zoos help with conservation?

If animals are taken from the wild and placed or bred into captivity, they virtually never return to their natural habitat. Zoos and aquariums help little with funding conservation efforts and have very limited breeding programs designed to release animals back into the natural world. Studies show that keeping animals in captivity actually harms conservation efforts.

What about protecting animals from hunters?

Places like zoos and aquariums serve only as a band-aid for animals at risk because of hunting. We need to get rid of the problem at the source, which is to end sport hunting first.

“Canned hunting” ranches often buy unwanted or surplus animals from zoos.

Are these places educational?

Sadly, no. If we truly want to learn about animals and their abilities, it’s best to view them in their natural habitats. This is the only way to see what they’re fully capable of. There’s nothing natural about watching animals behind bars, in inadequate conditions, or without family members to interact with—which is important for social animals.

Can they survive in the wild if they were born into captivity?

Usually not, but they can thrive in sanctuaries!

Iris the monkey goes from living in filthy isolation, to enjoying an island paradise at a sanctuary

Seventeen bears had been held captive in virtually barren concrete pits at Black Forest Bear Park in Helen, Georgia, but nowthey are living it up at the stunning 60-acre natural habitat at The Wild Animal Sanctuary in Keenesburg, Colorado.

How can I help animals in the meantime?

Avoid places that use animals for “entertainment,“ and support legit sanctuaries and habitat conservation! Spreading awareness makes a world of difference, too, because it’ll encourage others to vote with their dollars. Together, we can be the voice for animals who are suffering in silence.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/where-captive-animals-released/#ixzz3iYJ4tWmE

If Tilly the Orca Had Twitter

Posted August 3, 2015 by Casey Redd

Meet Tilikum, aka “Tilly.” He was stolen from his family when he was just 2 years old, and he has been trapped at SeaWorld and other marine parks for more than 30 years. As a result of his constant stress, frustration, and confinement, Tilly has killed three trainers.

Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals

You might have heard that SeaWorld trains its employees to “sexually stimulate” male orcas, including Tilly, in order to impregnate the female orcas, who are often forced to breed at a much younger age than they would in the wild. But do you know what Tilly would tweet if he had Twitter? Well, we might have an idea about that:

© 2011 Google

Dawn Brancheau-Riders on the Storm | Ed Schipul | CC by-SA 2.0

Spread the word for Tilly and never go to SeaWorld or any other marine park.

No chains. No cages. No tanks. 

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/tilly-tweets/#ixzz3hn6mrabj

The WORST Jobs to Have at SeaWorld

Posted July 23, 2015 by Emily Rohr

Do you have a summer job that you think blows? Maybe you think being a student takes the (vegan) cake as the absolute worst job. Well, whatever you’re doing this summer, it can’t be bad compared to this list of the top 10 worst things that you could be doing if you were unlucky enough to work at SeaWorld.

1. Feeding gelatin (made from animal bones) to the orcas trapped at the park: This isn’t natural AT ALL. Gelatin is only fed to the orcas because it keeps them hydrated—something that the unnatural diet they’re fed in captivity doesn’t do.

2. Removing dead orcas from their prison-like tanks: 36 orcas have died thus far at SeaWorld, and every one of them was under than the age of 30. In the wild, orcas live much longer—one is over 100.

3. Hauling stressed-out penguins around the country to use in promotional displays so that SeaWorld can make more $$: Just FYI, this climate isn’t where penguins belong, and making money isn’t their goal in life.

4. Covering the skin of sunburned orcas with black zinc oxide to hide burns and blisters from the public: Orcas at SeaWorld are easily burned because the water is artificially clear and the tanks at the abusement park are so shallow that the orcas have no way to dive deep enough to escape the sun’s burning rays.

SeaWorld San Diego 2010 | Martin Wippel | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

5. Lying to people, telling them that collapsed dorsal fins are normal for orcas, regardless of whether they’re wild or captive: Ain’t no one buying this one since the dorsal fins of all male orcas in captivity eventually collapse, while only about 1 percent of males in the wild have collapsed dorsal fins.

Shamu (Tilikum) | Milan Boers | CC BY 2.0

6. Separating baby orcas from their mothers: Orcas in the wild live in close-knit pods. At SeaWorld, orcas are torn away from their mothers for breeding purposes and to bring in revenue. Some mother orcas in captivity scream out in distress when their babies are taken.

7. Being one of the many unhealthy captive animals who are forced to perform at SeaWorld against their will: Be thankful to be you, because you could be Corky, an orca at SeaWorld who is reportedly blind in her left eye and whose upper and lower teeth are worn and decayed.

Corky | Paruula | CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Even though the humans working for SeaWorld have disgusting jobs, the marine park is the worst for the animals trapped there—they never even get a day off when they can return to their homes in the wild. Orcas suffer mentally and physically just to line SeaWorld’s pockets. The good news is that you can help the animals suffering at SeaWorld. Please say NO to SeaWorld and its enslavement of animals by refusing to buy a ticket to this orca hell, and ask the marine park to develop seaside sanctuaries for the animals it holds captive. ♥

No Chains. No Cages. No Tanks.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/seaworld-jobs/#ixzz3gpKyl19V

Harry Styles has a message for Seaworld -

Here are four reasons why you should listen to Harry and stay away from SeaWorld:

1. Dolphins in the wild swim vast distances every day with their extended families, playing and exploring new territory together. However, at SeaWorld they’re confined to cramped, barren concrete tanks. This is especially traumatic for them because they’re highly social animals who communicate through vocalizations and navigate by echolocation. In pools such as those at SeaWorld, the reverberations from these sounds bounce off the walls around them.

SeaWorld, San Diego (300443) | Robert Linsdell | CC by 2.0

2. Captive dolphins are sometimes housed in incompatible groups, and because of the cramped conditions, they’re unable to escape conflicts.

3. Many dolphins develop painful ailments, such as stomach ulcers, and some die prematurely from the stressful conditions of captivity. Sixty-two bottlenose dolphins have DIED at SeaWorld parks in just ten years. Sixteen of those dolphins were stillborn babies.

255-8 | Sompop S | CC by 2.0

4. Cheap tricks can hurt dolphins. In 2008, Sharky, a captive dolphin at SeaWorld’s Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida, was fatally injured while performing an aerial trick. He collided in mid-air with another dolphin and subsequently died. And in 2012 at SeaWorld’s San Antonio facility, two dolphins crashed in mid-air, and one was ejected onto the concrete walkway below. The dolphin lay bleeding and helpless as guests looked on.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/harry-styles-seaworld/#ixzz3fdHRRIEq

Yelp Reviews SeaWorld Doesn't Want You to See

"Sure, peta2 thinks SeaWorld sucks—this you knew already. But every day, compassionate consumers are learning the truth—that the animals at SeaWorld are being used for profit. Their tanks are too small, they’re lonely, and their health and well-being are in question.

You know where we stand, but don’t take our word for it! Check out these Yelp reviews from people who learned, too late, what a trip to SeaWorld is REALLY like:"

And there are TONS more of reviews of how awful Seaworld REALLY is.

Have you been to a SeaWorld park and had a terrible time? Did your opinion of SeaWorld change? Join these people in spreading the word on Yelp today, and be sure to share this post with your friends and family. Remember: Every dollar spent on a SeaWorld ticket contributes directly to the animals’ suffering and their miserable lives.

Article by: Kim Johnson 
Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/seaworld-yelp-reviews/#ixzz3f2f4eJow