Biologists: Killer whales 'neurotic' in captivity

[undeterred]

(CNN) -- Killer whales can weigh up to 22,000 pounds, and may be as long as 32 feet, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. They often travel in groups of up to 50, being highly social.

Confining such an enormous animal in an aquarium tank leads the animal to display neurotic behavior, experts say. "They get very stressed out," marine biologist Nancy Black of Monterey Bay Whale Watch said on CNN's "Larry King Live."

SeaWorld whale trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, died Wednesday from "multiple traumatic injuries and drowning" after a whale called Tilikum grabbed her ponytail and pulled her underwater at Shamu Stadium, the Orange County Sheriff's office said Thursday.

An orca can travel easily 100 nautical miles every day, and to put them in a pool where they swim around in circles continually, and kept away from their families, "takes a toll on their brains," said Jim Borrowman, who has worked with whales for 30 years and runs Stubbs Island Whale Watching on Vancouver Island, British Columbia. "'Neurotic' is the word that we've used, and I sense that that's probably what's happening," he said. "Perhaps that's what drives some of these issues."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/02/25/whales.seaworld.death/

Like a human being in solitary confinement except you still get to interact with fish...

[marmar]

1. Indeed.....To keep one of the most intelligent, powerful predators on earth....

..... that covers thousands of miles in the ocean, trapped in a tank doing backflips for people is terrible.

[malaise]

2. Actually it should be criminal

I'm only sorry the whale didn't go fot the owner

[DeSwiss]

3. K&R n/t

[bobbolink]

4. So, maybe its possible that keeping people penned up in "shelters" can be damaging?

Maybe its time for "progressives" to think of THOSE effects, also.

[niyad]

5. k and r--it is a shame that something so self-evident has to be explained to people. what humans do

to the other inhabitants of this planet--let alone our own species, is frequently criminal and obscene.

I do not go to places like sea world, zoos, or the circus (except for cirque de soleil, since they use NO animals) Other beings are not put here for our amusement. quite frankly, several years ago when elephants in several different areas went on rampages, I was generally siding with the elephants.

[BrklynLiberal]

21. Everything you said is absolutely correct.

[Maru Kitteh]

6. It's akin to capturing a live human and keeping them captive in a walk-in closet 24/7 for decades.

Yeah, they're going to snap.


DUH.

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[brettdale]

8. Who would of thought it??????

A killer whale doesnt want to be put in a tank, and made to jump through hoops for a little fish, three times a day, while
a bunch of people clap and cheer.

[Bosso 63]

9. Before this happened, I have wondered about insurance for this.

I too, think it is immoral, but I have wondered about this after seeing pictures of "Shamu" taking a fish from the hand of some kid from the audience, and thinking about the possibility of the Orca going for the whole enchilada.
I assume that Sea world would have to have some kind of liability insurance for this. So what do they do? Do they call State Farm and say "I've got a 22,000 lbs. carnivore that interacts with people. Just in case something happens I need a quote".

[Maru Kitteh]

13. "Hey - why are you dipping our daughter in sprinkles?"

Yeah. Kinda blows the mind, doesn't it?

[sohndrsmith]

10. Why is this tragedy somehow "shocking"??. Orcas are APEX

predators. They hunt with amazing skill and cooperation. They kill to eat.

So do lions, tigers and bears for cripes sake...

NOTE - I wrote to much. Sorry. I know that means being scanned at best, but I didn't know what to leave out.

This (I believe) was the only orca at SeaWorld that had not been born in captivity, and had killed before, so I don't understand why he was considered "safe". I don't think they'd let him "perform" with baby seals, would they? So why let him do it with humans if they know he's killed them more than once before? The are intelligent members of the dolphin family... I'm surprised the incident is as unusual as it is.

Every clip I've seen of the spectators said THEY could even tell that something was wrong, that he was in a bad mood, agitated, not cooperating. The trainers ought to have noticed too. Hopefully they didn't ignore warning signs out of pressure from management. That would just amplify the tragedy... EDIT: Then there *would* be someone to blame. The orca is not at fault in any way.

I'm really torn on the issue of captivity, even though I strongly side against it.

My daughter fell in love with orcas since age 2 (Free Willy) and hasn't changed in almost 20 years. She *always* watched the "special features" on the video - both the background story and the clips of Shamu at SeaWorld.

She developed such a passion and interest because, in part of Seaworld. She learned about how important their conservation and protection is...

In the last few years she saw them in the wild in the San Juan Islands, and then she went to SeaWorld, and called me on her phone so we could be "together". I cried.

To me, I see the enormous benefit that something like SeaWorld can offer - and I don't have a problem with raising or rescuing very few (if that) of a species if it means protecting or increasing the entire population.

My daughter would have loved orcas without SW, but it wouldn't be as profound or connected. Her main goal for the last 16 years was to go there. She wanted to study marine biology so she could work there and educate others about them. I'm sure she's not the only one who gained compassion and interest in the species directly because of... SW.

As much as I hate to see animals in captivity, I can't dismiss this point. I just can't.

[undeterred]

11. There's a paradox here.

Seaworld makes a lot of money off these shows so its in their interest to keep the animals in captivity despite the objection that it is cruel.

But the people who feed and train the animals generally do it because the love the animals. These are physically difficult jobs that involve working long hours. I don't doubt that the woman who lost her life this week truly cared for the whale who killed her and wouldn't want to see him harmed. But she apparently didn't see the harm in keeping him in captivity- or she thought it was worth it for some greater good.

There are small goods that come from keeping these animals in captivity- some amount of scientific knowledge, and public education. It doesn't outweigh the right of the animal to live a normal life.

[BrklynLiberal]

12. What sentient creature would not become neurotic under the conditions in which they are kept?

[undeterred]

14. Tonight I read something about dogs becoming

socially aggressive after being isolated for too long. I'm not sure I would use the word neurotic since we can't know an animals thoughts - but we can sure see aggression.

[Maru Kitteh]

15. I think the term has become a catch-all for disturbed thought and behavior

and yeah, the behavior is pretty evident, that's for sure.

[BrklynLiberal]

16. Considering how intelligent and social these creatures are, it is not surprising that they could

show sign of neuroticism....as would any creature in the situation.

Wikipedia:
Neuroticism is a fundamental personality trait in the study of psychology. It is an enduring tendency to experience negative emotional states. Individuals who score high on neuroticism are more likely than the average to experience such feelings as anxiety, anger, guilt, and depressed mood.<1> They respond more poorly to environmental stress, and are more likely to interpret ordinary situations as threatening, and minor frustrations as hopelessly difficult. They are often self-conscious and shy, and they may have trouble controlling urges and delaying gratification. Neuroticism is associated with low emotional intelligence, which involves emotional regulation, motivation, and interpersonal skills.<2> It is also a risk factor for "internalizing" mental disorders such as phobia, depression, panic disorder, and other anxiety disorders, (traditionally called neuroses).<3>
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

That particular whale had been held in captivity for almost 20 years from what I read....

from the article in OP:

Spectators who had attended the whale show before Brancheau was killed reported that the whales were not behaving -- "they weren't following instructions," Lori Miller, SeaWorld visitor, said.

This suggests that the whales had something going on socially among themselves, Ventre said.

"It's probably reasonable to suspect that something going on amongst the whales themselves may have triggered the frustration," he said. But, he added, it is "impossible to speculate what triggered the aggression."

Parsons added that perhaps the whales involved in harming humans were taking advantage of the opportunity to interact with novel stimuli in a habitat that is otherwise fairly mundane.
Although Tilikum is the largest of the whales in his group, he is also the most vulnerable to bullying from the others because there is less room for him to maneuver, Ventre said.

<snip>

"The SeaWorld system is the best of all seaquaria in the world, but if I was an orca, that would be the last place I'd want to live," he said. "They are in what is essentially an acoustically dead cement pond, compared to the vibrancy of the ocean."
Animal rights groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, said killer whales should not be kept in aquariums to begin with.

"These are very dangerous animals, and being in captivity, they're ticking time bombs," said Debbie Leahy, director of PETA's Captive Animals and Entertainment Issues Department. "These animals become very depressed and neurotic in captivity, whereas in the wild they avoid human contact."

<snip>

Ventre speculated that there may be more restrictions placed on who can work with the whale, but it's unclear whether much can be done -- someone still has to feed Tilikum 300 pounds of fish a day, administer medication and perform other daily tasks with the animal. Tilikum is also part of an artificial insemination program, which means someone has to roll him over and extract sperm from him.!!!!!!!!!!!!!

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And this poor creature has been going thru this for 20 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
His history should have indicated to someone that there were some problems there.

[Dappleganger]

17. It also can happen when removed from their mother too soon.

Which is why puppy mill dogs make such terrible pets. They're usually out the door as soon (or sooner) as the state law allows.

BTW, my doxies follow me everywhere I go. When our golden retriever was alive she followed me everywhere I went, too. If the door's closed they wait on the other side. They need that attachment and I can't imagine cutting them off from it.

[BrklynLiberal]

19. I cannot remember the last time I went to the bathroom with the door closed.....

I always have canine and/or feline companionship with me.

[Dappleganger]

22. I try to close it because there's 6 of us in the house...

the dogs won't push it open unless they're called, but Zoe our calico kitty pushes right past the dogs, through the door and right to my feet.


BTW, do you know why cats like to stare at us when we sit on the toilet?
It's the one thing about humans they actually understand! :-)

[BrklynLiberal]

23. LOLOLOLOL I guess we are pretty puzzling to them in general.

I have one GSD and 6 kitties...so I am lucky if I can slip into the bathroom ahead of them. And then there is the scratching at the door!!!!

[spanone]

18. set the whales free. please, this is so stupid.

[BrklynLiberal]

20. +1000