Lolita was taken away by her family when she was 4 years old.
Delivered to the Miami Seaquarium for $6,000, she was forced to live in captivity and was forced to perform day in and day out for the next 45 years. According to the marine welfare monitoring organization Sea World of HurtLolita is currently the only living member of the group of 90 Orcas to which she once belonged.
The existence of this beautiful creature has been marginalized, quite literally, as Lolita has been confined to one of the smallest tanks in the United States. At only 35 feet wide, the cramped environment did not meet any of the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act was established nearly 15 years ago when it was tragically captured off the coast of the Pacific Northwest. As Dodo Report, It’s been decades since Lolita has even seen another Orca and her declining health is a clear sign of abuse.
As if lubricated with zinc oxide to prevent sunburn in unusually clear waters, and forced to allow aquarium staff to ride on her for pleasure, Lolita has been called “the loneliest orca in the world. gender”, and it is likely that isolation contributed in no small way to her growing physical problems.
“[Lolita] Dr Pedro Javier Gallego Reyes, veterinarian and co-founder of the marine biology association, has been diagnosed with pterygium, also known as ‘surfer’s eye’. Odyssea. “This is due to overexposure to UV radiation [and] lead to discomfort and can cause significant changes in visual function. “
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration placed Lolita, also known as Tokitae, on the endangered species list, although the designation helped convince the Miami Aquarium to release her. NOAA asserts that plans to move or release Lolita will require NOAA Fisheries license and rigorous scientific review. Furthermore, “Previous attempts to release killer whales and captive dolphins have often been unsuccessful and some have tragically ended with the death of the released animal,” the authorities assert.
If the ailing orca were to be released from captivity, marine biologist Ken Balcomb posed the question “Comprehensive Retirement Plan“For Lolita. The proposed system would help bring her back to the Pacific Northwest through an unrestricted natural seawater pen in Greater Puget Sound that she could freely traverse.
There is no reason to continue to imprison and forcibly exhibit orcas in the United States. Click below to notify the East Regional Director of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the United States Secretary of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of the Inspector General that Lolita must be retired. in its native habitat in the Pacific Northwest immediately!
