Anonymous
Unregistered
Posts: N/A
Registered: N/A
Member Is Offline
|
|
Two Dolphins Die at La Paz Aquatic Park
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/americas/09/30/dolphins.ap/
MEXICO CITY (AP) -- Mexican environmental authorities reported Monday that two dolphins at a Baja California aquatic park died, one as a result of a
throat blockage and another, a female, of a liver infection.
The two bottle-nose dolphins, both about 20 years old, were held at the Dolphin Learning Center in La Paz, near the southern tip of the Baja
peninsula, according to the office of the Attorney General for Environmental Protection.
The male dolphin, known as "Quinta," apparently died after swallowing a foreign object that blocked his esophagus.
Autopsies carried out over the weekend indicated the deaths were not apparently the result of mistreatment, but tissues samples will be sent to labs
for further analysis and special monitoring was ordered for other animals at the center.
The dolphin center had already been under investigation by federal authorities after activists complained the animals were confined in pens that were
too shallow.
In October 2002, authorities had ordered the seizure of seven dolphins at the park. They were being held pending a plan to release them into the
ocean.
In February, 2001, another dolphin at the park, Luna, died of an intestinal blockage.
|
|
|
Stephanie Jackter
Senior Nomad
Posts: 566
Registered: 11-3-2002
Location: Arizona
Member Is Offline
|
|
I've waffled back and forth between initial horror at the way the first dolphin was killed by dropping it during transport after its capture, to
feeling like the dolphinarium can at least keep these dolphins alive longer than the 6 year life expectancy (of what SHOULD be 30 years), that
dolphins now have in the wild due to overfishing. Dolphin zoos serve as well, to teach people about the species in an empathetic way.
With two more dolphins dead, I may have to rethink those assumptions. Being in captivity, they should at least be protected from ingesting foreign
debris and should also not be exposed to the polluted waters that probably caused liver failure in the one. If they can't keep these animals alive
more than a few years, they're just not doing a good job.
I think my association with the gang that runs that operation is probably over till they can at least get their act together and move the dolphins to
a more appropriate site where they can live a healthy life.- Stephanie
[Edited on 10-2-2003 by Stephanie Jackter]
|
|
|
Ski Baja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 652
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
|
|
Wild animals
should be in the wild where they belong.
|
|
|
Bajabus
Senior Nomad
Posts: 892
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Elias Calles B.C.S. or NC USA
Member Is Offline
Mood: My friends..it's good.
|
|
I don't like going to zoos for that very reason. depressing
"Preventive war was an invention of Hitler. Frankly I would not even listen to anyone seriously that came and talked of such a thing."
Dwight David Eisenhower
|
|
|
Anonymous
Unregistered
Posts: N/A
Registered: N/A
Member Is Offline
|
|
I also avoid zoos like the plague and have never swam with the dolphins. But my children go with their Dad to the zoo regularly and it's where they
have seen animals they never would have seen otherwise.
I'm sure I would have never sent them to swim with the dolphins on my own, but they went as part of a snorkelling class they took in La Paz a couple
of years ago, and they became so turned on to knowing everything they could find out about dolphins that I felt like it was almost a religious
experience for them!
My 6 year old, who was barely 4 at the time, still remembers it like it was yesterday. There is something to be said for turning humans onto animals
they otherwise might not have any passion for.
But having said that, these animals are obviously at this point, not being well taken care of.
I've harped on this plenty before, but maybe not to this particular crowd. Do you know that the average life span of a dolphin in the wild has gone
from 30 years to 6 years because of overfishing, especially with nets? Imagine what that has done to the social world of these highly intelligent and
interconnected species. A 6 year old dolphin is just an adolescent. We are decimating populations in the wild to the point where, if these dolphins
were taken decent care of, they would actually have a much better ability to simply stay alive in captivity than a wild dolphin. Although it should
be one of a higher quality, the life of a dolphin in the wild is one of danger, with thousands of them dying and being thrown back in the water as
"bi-catch" every day worldwide. - Stephanie
|
|
|
Ski Baja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 652
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: Rosarito Beach
Member Is Offline
|
|
Death
Do you have the statistics on childrens deaths in Africa ? Or any of the other impoverished nations. Or those that live near polluting factories in
all countries including if not especially the U.S.
Maybe if we put some of those Aborigines or South American tribes in cages, they would want to teach we of the "Advanced Civilizations" why they
never got sick before our pathetic barbarian presence! Zoos my ARSE!! If anyone should be in a zoo, it's anglos for what they have done and are
continueing to do to the planet. Zoos. Hah. Wake up.
Why don't we work on saving the population of this planet. Period!
Instead of a select few getting to see what a caged animal looks like. Just take your kids to Orange County. Hah !
|
|
|
Stephanie Jackter
Senior Nomad
Posts: 566
Registered: 11-3-2002
Location: Arizona
Member Is Offline
|
|
I'm afraid your argument seems all over the place.
Yes, I can give you some incredible statistics on people dying in Africa. I researched deaths there when my little girl wanted to do fundraisers and
have her school send money to organizations that help people with AIDs.
But I just don't get the connection with the plight of animals populations that are being destroyed. Are you saying we give animal distress too much
attention and human distress too little? Maybe we should be seeing and addressing them both more than we do. - Stephanie
|
|
|
Nancy Drew
Senior Nomad
Posts: 526
Registered: 4-9-2003
Member Is Offline
|
|
There is a high death rate when you take a dolphin from the wild and place it in captivity. The stress of being captured and separated from the pod
brings on many illnesses.
It does not surprise me that there have been two more deaths. It is unfortunate that those who want to profit from this will not acknowledge these
facts.
There has been a death in Cancun of one of the several dolphins recently acquired for the theme parks.
http://www.dolphinproject.org/
Marine Animals in Captivity:
http://www.hsus.org/ace/11727
[Edited on 10-7-2003 by Nancy Drew]
|
|
|
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
