BARKER CALLS ON SEAWORLD BOSSES TO CLOSE DOWN AQUARIUMS
U.S. showbiz veteran BOB BARKER is calling on SeaWorld bosses to close do= wn its aquariums after the tragic death of a killer whale trainer in Orla= ndo, Florida on Wednesday (24Feb10).
Dawn Brancheau, 40, was killed by orca Tilikum during a show with him a= t the city’s SeaWorld complex.
The incident has prompted retired game show host Barker to write to Sea= World owners The Blackstone Group, on behalf of animal rights campaigners= People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Barker and PETA want the executives to close its marine-mammal exhibits= and stop the breeding of dolphins, whales and seals for entertainment pu= rposes.
In his letter to Blackstone boss Hamilton James, Barker writes, "The de= ath of (the) trainer at SeaWorld did not have to happen, and I must appea= l to you to take strong action now so that it never happens again. I urge= you to make (a) humane move now and to start moving the captive orcas an= d other marine mammals to transitional coastal and wildlife sanctuaries.
"This is not the first time that a trainer has been seized, thrown agai= nst the walls of the tank, and held down to drown. I cannot imagine what = the sight of such a hideous event would do to a child in the audience.
"The intelligent, social, ocean animals kept in the most pitifully smal= l tanks at SeaWorld are denied everything that is natural and important t= o them. In the wild, they swim up to 100 miles a day in the open ocean, b= ut captured dolphins are confined to small tanks where the reverberations= from their own sonar bounce off the walls, driving some of them insane. = Some of these animals were violently captured from their homes, many are = forced to learn circus-style tricks, and according to whistleblower tips = from trainers, withholding food and isolating animals who refuse to perfo= rm are common training methods. The only thing that people learn from vis= iting a SeaWorld theme park is how miserable life is for animals held the= re."
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