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After reading TheirTurn’s post stating that the American Humane Association “endorses” SeaWorld’s proposal for larger orca tanks, the AHA sent a letter disputing our claim. Following is the relevant excerpt:

“We have not given a stamp of approval to any project. One of our scientists has been asked to serve on an Independent Advisory Panel with other leading experts. The panel has not yet met, and we have not provided any input or recommendations at this point.” 

TheirTurn’s original post was written in response to a news story which stated that the construction of the larger orca enclosures “will be overseen by a group of advisors that include executives from The American Humane Association.” While “overseeing” might not be an official endorsement, the participation of a “humane” organization would lend credibility to this extraordinarily misguided project. Shouldn’t the AHA, like other humane organizations, be using its influence to end – and not prolong – orca captivity?  If the AHA’s “oversight” role was misrepresented in the original news story, then the organization should say so and clearly state its position on the proposed larger tanks.

Finally, SeaWorld picked the AHA for a reason: it supports of the use of animals in entertainment.

Rendering of SeaWorld’s larger orca enclosure

Price is Right host and animal rights activist Bob Barker sent a high profile letter to the Oregon Zoo demanding that they send Packy to a sanctuary. Packy is an elderly elephant with tuberculosis who has spent his entire life at the zoo.  “After 52 years of service, Packy deserves to be sent to a place where he can enjoy his final years in peace and serenity,” said Bob Barker. During Packy’s recent birthday “celebration,” the animal rights group Free Oregon Zoo Elephants, which campaigned to get Packy elected to the City Council via write-in ballots, staged a protest in front of the zoo.

Elephants want freedom, not cake. Photo: Michael Durham

If social media is any indication, the world is waking up to the plight of captive elephants — intelligent and socially sophisticated animals who are deprived of virtually everything that comes naturally to them in zoos and in circuses, where they are also beaten into submission with bull hooks, confined for up to 100 hours at a time in box cars and forced to perform tricks in exchange for nourishment. Please support Free Oregon Zoo Elephants in their effort to send Packy to a sanctuary.

In an ongoing attempt to free Lolita, a killer whale who was kidnapped from the Pugent Sound 44 years, PETA is appealing a lawsuit it lost that challenged the USDA’s automatic renewal of Miami Seaquarium’s Animal Welfare Act license, which allows it to exhibit Lolita.  PETA claims that the Seaquarium is in violation of at least three of the act’s regulations. The group says Lolita is kept in a tank that is smaller than the minimum size required and has no orca companion or shelter from the sun.

Photo credit: Ross Cobb

Kidnapping an intelligent orca from her home and holding her captive for over 40 years in a small tank is unspeakably cruel.  And the fact that she is alone makes it even worse.  She must be extraordinarily stressed, frustrated, depressed and lonely.  This case is truly heart-breaking.  Kudos to PETA for attempting to free Lolita and release her into a coastal sanctuary that is ready to take her.  Please use this link to submit a letter to the owner of the Seaquarium.

Six months after a three-week old tiger drowned at the London zoo, three more tigers were born there. PETA has capitalized on the attention brought by the drowning and the births to call for a boycott of the zoo, which they describe as a “prison with living exhibits.” The zoo director, David Field, defends captivity, saying “The wild is just simply not an option for many species now, with habitats being destroyed and illegal wildlife trade soaring at unprecedented rates. Conservation breeding programmes are the only way to ensure a future for these animals.”

Tiger Cubs at London Zoo

By saying that the “wild is not an option,” the London Zoo director is suggesting that captivity is the only option for some animals. That message only reinforces the point of view that animals in zoos are money-making exhibits, not ambassadors who unwillingly sacrifice their freedom to help to conserve members of their species who live freely in their natural habitats. If we believe in wildlife conservation, then we should be supporting the work of groups like Sea Shepherd that are protecting animals and their habitats. To find out how you can help protect wild animals, please see this list of 10 other wildlife conservation groups.

As part of Sea World’s efforts to restore its reputation after the documentary Blackfish tarnished it, the company hired 15-year old Bindi Irwin, a self-declared conservationist, to be a paid spokesperson. Bob Irwin, Bindi’s grandfather who runs a conservation foundation, used the news of Bindi’s new job to speak out against whales in captivity.

Bindi Irwin promotes Sea World on Good Morning America

Steve Irwin, who made a career out of provoking wild animals for his TV shows, was killed by an angry sting ray in 2006. Will karma pay an unexpected visit to his daughter too? The Irwin moguls appear to be animal abusers disguised as conservationists. Sign the petition asking Bindi to step down as a “Sea World Ambassador.”