![]() ![]() Bernd Wursig, a professor of marine biology at Texas A&M University, acknowledges that the sheer size of whales makes them hard to accommodate well, but that doesn't mean it can't be done. Not everyone within the whale-studying community takes such a dim view of SeaWorld and other such places. ![]() People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals used the occasion of Brancheau's death to issue a press release expressing a similar sentiment, demanding that parks "stop confining ocean-going mammals to an area that to them is like the size of a bathtub." "You can't enrich these environments," says Rector. (See a 2006 story about a killer-whale attack in San Diego.) Trying to improve conditions is hard enough with small to midsize animals like cheetahs and lions with a leviathan like a killer whale, whose enclosure can only get so big, it's nearly impossible. The array of dysfunctional behaviors on display at even the best zoos from swaying giraffes to pacing big cats to the compulsive back-and-forth swimming of Gus, the famously neurotic polar bear in New York's Central Park Zoo illustrate the psychologists' point. But many animal psychologists argue that the landscaping and enriched environments of contemporary zoos are as much for the benefit of human visitors as anything else. Nearly all captive zoo and park animals live far better today than they did in the horror-show era of full-grown beasts in small metal cages. What was it about this particular whale's experiences or environment at SeaWorld that led to the swish of a ponytail sparking such violence? Of course, plenty of killer whales live in captivity and never do anything like what Tilikum has done. Transients travel the world, eating dolphins, fish, other whales, basically anything that gets in their way." Such animals need to be particularly aggressive, both to establish territoriality when they're passing through and to hunt such a wide range of large prey. ![]() "Resident whales are the kind that live in a fixed place, like Puget Sound. "When Tilikum was wild, he was a transient, not a resident," says Russ Rector, a former dolphin trainer who is now a fierce opponent of keeping any dolphins or whales in captivity. Is the big whale a bad seed? At least one marine-mammal expert thinks that yes, that's at least part of the answer. In 1999, a man who trespassed in SeaWorld after hours and apparently jumped in the whale tank was found dead the next morning, lying across Tilikum's back. In 1991 eight years after he was captured off the coast of Iceland he and two other killer whales drowned a trainer during a performance at Sealand of the Pacific in Vancouver. What goes on in the mind of so complex a creature that causes it to become so fierce so fast and is there anything that can be done to prevent such tragedies? (See 10 infamous animal attacks on humans.) But the question that remained unanswered in addition to the matter of what should be done with Tilikum now is why the animal lashed out. Officials treated the death as a homicide though one with a decidedly uncommon perpetrator and within two days, investigators had been to the scene, sorted out the rapid-fire sequence of events that led to the death and essentially closed their books on the case. As horrified visitors watched both from around the tank and from the viewing window below, Tilikum then dragged Brancheau underwater to her death. 24, in the middle of an otherwise routine show, the 40-year-old trainer was standing at the edge of a tank when the 29-year-old animal leaped from the water, grabbed her by the ponytail and began thrashing her about. That's what an official at the Orlando marine park told reporters the day after the 16-year veteran at SeaWorld was killed by Tilikum, a 12,000-lb. It's an affordable and convenient way to teach your child about new and exciting animals, in a fun and engaging way.Follow about SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau's ponytail may have triggered the attack. Overall, I would highly recommend My ZOO Box to any parent with young children. It's clear that they are passionate about helping children learn and develop a passion for animals and the world. What really sets My ZOO Box apart, however, is the attention to detail and customer service. My son was particularly taken with the soft and cuddly plush animal that was included in our box, and he has been carrying it around with her everywhere he goes. The box arrived promptly and was filled with a variety of high-quality toys and activities that kept my little one engaged and entertained for hours. I recently subscribed to My ZOO Box for my toddler and I couldn't be more thrilled with the experience. ![]()
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