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Natural Born Killer

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Wed, 20 Oct 2010 7:44p.m.

Tilikum

Tilikum

They seem the friendliest and most sociable of creatures. At least, that's the impression you get when you watch killer whales in wildlife documentaries or at marine parks.

But don't be fooled. These are wild animals, predators at the very top of the food chain. They are, as their name implies, killers.

None more so than Tilikum, an orca at Florida's Sea World. He's killed three times. Two of his victims were his trainers and his tragic story makes you wonder what we're doing confining these majestic and clearly very dangerous creatures in concrete tanks. 

Watch the video.

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Comments

28 Oct 2010 10:01a.m.

Kiri wrote:

This is such a sad story, and the heart breaking thing is that there really isn't anywhere to go from here. Sea World and the place that had Tilikum before them, have done such irreperable damage to him over the years that there is no way he will ever have a loving relationship with a trainer. But at the same time, because they captured him and took him from his family when he was still a baby, he never learned any of the skills he would need to live in the wild. Add to that the fact he was bullied for years by the 2 females he was put in a tank with, and he is the world's most successful breeding male Orca in captivity, so you know Sea World won't be letting him go!

What needs to happen is for Sea World and places like it to stop keeping Orca's in captivity- let the ones they have live out their years and don't replace them when they pass on. Unfortunately, money talks, and Orca displays are a multi-billion dollar industry in the US and Japan.

27 Oct 2010 08:49p.m.

Margaret wrote:

I agree with Stacey They should have learnt from the first 2 human deaths and not expect a trainer to work in a pool with a wild animal Are sea World manager dumb or just interested in making money and to hell with anyone's lives I feel sorry for the young woman and her family

27 Oct 2010 08:39p.m.

vicki wrote:

It may seem unfair to keep him in a tank after what he has done but he would suffer more if he were to be relesed. we can not rehabilate sealife the way that we can with most landlife. he has been hand feed nearly all his life he would not know how to hunt or reconnect with a herd the unfoturnte side in keeping these animals is that we take away from them their ture nature their abiltys to do what they need to know to surive without mans help

24 Oct 2010 10:32a.m.

Stacey wrote:

In my opinion seaworld is responsible for the deaths of those trainers, asking them get in an enclosure with a wild animal whose behavior you don't understand is asking for trouble and all for the sake of money. When will human and animal life come before money. Humans get 5mintues of joy from watching them in captivity but a life time of happiness from watching them in the wild. Whales get a lifetime of misery from the moment they are herded, separated from their mothers and forced to live in captivity. Is it worth it? When will we learn that one accident is one too many let alone three deaths which are completely AVOIDABLE. If you are willing to take a wild animal and stick it in an unnatural environment and ask people to get in with it then any human/animal accidents are your responsibility. Don't mess with what God has intended, wild animals to remain wild animals.

20 Oct 2010 08:24p.m.

Marian wrote:

This is such a sad story, the whale has only done what comes naturally. Once a wild animal, always one, when will we learn that WE are the common denominator in these 'captive animal attack' horror stories and leave mother nature in peace?