Mum and son orcas Wikie and Keijo are the last performing orcas in captivity in France, but with the closure of Marineland, they face uncertainty after plans emerged to transfer them to Japan
The last two performing orcas in captivity in France are facing an uncertain future after their marine park closed.
Marineland shut at the start of the month due to a law banning shows with dolphins and whales. It was marked by a final performance by mother and son orcas, Wikie and Keijo.
After a lifetime in captivity, it was hoped the pair could relocate to a sanctuary in Nova Scotia which is being set up by the Whale Sanctuary Project to be as close as possible to their natural habitat. It is expected to be completed by summer and has offered to send staff to France to care for the orcas in the meantime.
But anger is growing after plans emerged to transfer the mother and son orcas from the park in Antibes to Japan, a move France’s ecology minister opposes because of Tokyo’s more lax animal welfare laws. Another miserable alternative under consideration is for them to be shipped off to Loro Parque, Tenerfie, to live in a barren tank performing tricks for tourists – from one whale jail to another.
Katheryn Wise, from World Animal Protection, said: “As people wake up to the cruelty of captive whale and dolphin entertainment there are organisations like the Whale Sanctuary Project working hard at finding solutions for those in the system. Yet marine parks, driven by those profiting from ticket sales like TUI, continue to add to the problem by breeding more animals into tiny tanks for profit.
“We need to invest in solutions to try and undo the harms caused by the tourism industry to these majestic, incredibly intelligent animals and stop major household travel brands like TUI, from continuing to drive whale and dolphin entertainment forward by presenting it as acceptable family fun and continuing to profit from it.
“We urge the French government to endorse the recommendation to send Wikie and Keijo to a seaside sanctuary in the spirit of the French legislation that prohibits future display and holding of captive cetaceans for entertainment. To help us make this the last generation of whales and dolphins to suffer in captivity, tell travel giant TUI to stop supporting this cruel industry by signing our petition.”