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Better Dead than Fed?




Five days ago an orca calf washed up at Plimmerton beach, just north of Wellington, New Zealand. The calf, estimated to be between 4 and 6 months of age, was separated from his pod but seemed to be in otherwise good health.


The department of conservation, Project Jonah, and Whale Rescue (Ingrid Visser's foundation) were on-hand to assist the calf. As the pod had left the calf stranded, the decision was made to secure the calf inside a boat dock to make a temporary sea pen where he would be kept close to shore should his pod return. Unfortunately after five days of searching, the pod is yet to be found anywhere in the vicinity. Any orca seen in the area since his rescue have been confirmed as not being his family pod. The calf has been confirmed as a male and has been named 'Toa', something incredibly poignant as it means 'strong' or 'brave' in Maori.


The calf remains under 24hr watch by volunteers, and vets have determined him to be in good health. He is also reported to be drinking milk formula - something that is essential not only to keep him hydrated, but also to ensure he keeps getting all of the nutrients that he needs. Data on formula for orca calves is something that has come directly out of SeaWorld's gestation research and makes me so incredibly happy to see it positively aiding a wild rescue like this.


Loro Parque has also been reported to have offered aid in the form of research and donations as well as rescue teams that would include killer whale behaviourists with years of experience raising healthy calves by hand. Something incredibly generous considering the great distance between Tenerife, Spain and New Zealand. Additionally, given the way Ingrid Visser has treated Loro Parque in the past (taking them to court over decisions that were in the hands of the government, getting herself banned from the park for dangerous practices and generally dragging their name through the mud). As a former trainer it gives me great joy to see an outstanding zoological facility being the bigger person in this situation for the benefit of a struggling young animal. Whether Visser will accept the help offered is another story. Although, if she refuses the help from those who are unarguably the experts in orca calf raising, then the world will know what she really stands for. And that certainly isn't animal welfare.


There seems to be a lot of discussion going around on social media about this situation, with many people who don't fully understand either side of the situation offering their suggestions. Many seem confused that this calf's pod would simply swim away. It is uncommon given the strong social bonds between orca pod members, however not unheard of. Morgan, the killer whale rescued by the Dutch government in 2010 was also found alone in the Wadden Sea with her pod nowhere in the vicinity. Incidentally, many animal rights activists are using Morgan's successful rescue as a 'warning' for little Toa. They seem to think that accepting help from Loro Parque would be a mistake and believe that the only thing the company stands to gain would be another 'star attraction'. Knowing Loro Parque as someone who worked on the orca team there for two years, I can firmly say that all the company wants is to see Toa safe and healthy. If his family can be found and he can be reunited with them in the ocean - fantastic. I know Loro Parque will do everything they can to ensure that did happen. However, given that it has been almost a week with no success in finding his pod - Loro Parque has both the funds and expertise required to give this little calf his best chance of survival in human care.


Personally, I doubt that they are looking at placing little Toa at Loro Parque itself. Given his young age and the often deadly impact stress can have in cetaceans, they might be looking at relocating him to another facility closer to New Zealand. The only one I can think of right now is SeaWorld Gold Coast, Australia - but if you look at Morgan's rescue, she was rehabilitated for a year at the Harderwijk dolphinarium in the Netherlands before eventually being moved to Loro Parque after a government decision was made. Given Toa's current size and apparent good health, there is no reason why he could not be moved to a facility that houses dolphins while he prepares for a longer journey eventually.


To me the situation is simple - find his pod and return him to the wild. If that is not possible, place him in an accredited zoological facility who can care for him and give him the very best life possible.


Unfortunately not everyone thinks this way.


This is where I can very easily say that animal rights does not equal animal welfare. Many animal rights extremists would rather see this healthy calf euthanized than sent to a marine park. An orca calf who has been deemed fit and healthy by veterinarians, with an expert facility willing to provide the resources necessary to keep him alive, and the world's eyes on the situation via social media with donations flooding in. In what world is euthanasia even a question?


This is the problem with humans believing we know what is best for these animals without stopping to think that maybe they want something different. I don't doubt that Toa is terrified. He is young and alone and in a strange environment and will want nothing more than to return to his family, a sentiment that I believe every single person in the world echoes. But the fact remains that his family is gone and may never come back. If that happens, the best thing for Toa would be to relocate him and keep him in a marine park. The killer whales in accredited zoological facilities receive the highest standard of care. He would live out his life being played with endlessly, with others of his species, given only the best quality fish to eat, live surrounded by others of his species and have expert veterinarians on hand to ensure his health. While many argue that killer whales have different dialects and he would struggle to communicate with orcas not from his pod - that isn't entirely true. Orca's are incredibly intelligent mammals and use body language more often than vocalizations to communicate with one another. Morgan is deaf and has managed to assert herself as one of the most dominant and influential members of the Loro Parque pod, and raise a calf, while never uttering a vocal that the other whales understand.


I know people find it hard to trust marine parks these days but if you can so easily believe the words of former trainers in the movie Blackfish - will you believe this blog post written by a former trainer too? One who worked with killer whales for five years and has see first hand what these companies stand for in the present day? Can you begin to trust facilities like Loro Parque who have successfully hand-raised three orca calves, or SeaWorld who has rescued and rehabilitated almost 40,000 animals to date? Or would you rather listen to a woman who already has one failed 'rescue' under her belt?


The last attempted rescue of an orca calf by Visser came under huge scrutiny from vets, researchers and the wider marine mammal field internationally. In contrast to Toa, the calf Bob was incredibly weak and showing signs of rapid deterioration. It is the belief of many people that the decisions made by Visser during Bob's rescue made things worse. During rehab it is standard protocol to handle the rescue as little as possible as any human contact for a wild animal can cause huge amounts of stress. The animal should be kept far away from crowds and the public eye and all staff interacting with them should be wearing appropriate PPE equipment, including masks, to prevent the spread of infection. None of this was done with Bob. In fact there are numerous photos of Visser hugging the calf and allowing journalists and news teams to crowd around his pool taking photos. Even now that Toa has been moved to a makeshift pool due to bad weather, there are photos of crowds holding their mobile phones up to take photos of him mere feet away from the pool.


So far at least, it seems that they have learned a thing or two from their experience of Bob. there are less people crowding around Toa, he is being kept in the ocean, in water that is at least semi-filtered through the gate in the boat dock, and Toa has something going for him that Bob didn't - he is healthy and strong.


It is my fervent hope that his pod is found and that he can be reunited with his mother. But if the worst happens and that is not possible - I condemn anyone who believes that putting a strong, healthy calf to sleep is the answer. Euthanasia is not a rescue, and it certainly is not a kindness when your animal is healthy. It is a death sentence and one that will be used by activists who remain blind to the good that comes out of zoos and refuse to be the bigger person by putting the needs of a young animal before their own prejudices.


~Hazel


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