Vegetarian Star

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is calling for manslaughter charges to be filed against the Orlando, Florida marine park SeaWorld, in relation to several deaths, including the recent one by trainer Dawn Brancheau by Tilikum the killer whale.

PETA’s General Counsel Jeffrey Kerr sent a 12-page letter to Florida State Attorney Lawson Lamar asking him to consider charges for both the park and its executives, saying they are “culpably negligent” for continuing to allow trainers to interact with animals despite previous events and a government warning three years ago.

There have been six publicized attacks on trainers since 2002, and an investigation by the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health after an orca attacked its trainer in 2006 concluded it was “only a matter of time” before someone was killed.

“SeaWorld has shown reckless disregard for the lives of its trainers by paying them to be in close contact with massive, powerful, wild animal who can kill them in a flash,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said in a statement.

“Corporations must be held accountable when their greed causes suffering and loss of life.”

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The Cove has inspired a dolphin broker to enter a new profession.

Chris Porter, who’s in the business of capturing dolphins in Solomon Island and selling them to aquariums, says both the Oscar winning film and the recent death of a trainer by one of the animals at SeaWorld prompted his decision to release his last 17 dolphins.

Porter, who’s been nicknamed as “Darth Vador” by animal rights activists, is questioning the educational value of captive animals in marine parks like SeaWorld.

“Are we really educating and providing the best representation of wild animals in an aquarium?” Porter told the National Post, adding that killer whales often become frustrated in unnatural environments and lash out in response.

Mr. Porter will start releasing the dolphins next month, and the creatures will be tracked with devices to follow up on their statuses.

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The SeaWorld tragedy from February that resulted in a trainer being killed by an orca whale still has many forming opinions over whether parks that keep marine animals in captivity are worth the risks to the animals and humans.

Eli Roth has written a letter to the CEO of The Blackstone Group, the company that owns SeaWorld, that questions the educational value of the exhibits, and asks for a release of the animals into a sanctuary.

“I can assure you that there are many humane alternatives available to introduce the public to orcas without having to hold them in captivity for a lifetime against their will. CGI technology, animatronics, and other state-of-the-art virtual reality exhibits could be used in place of the current live-animal shows to provide park visitors with an exciting, educational experience. In fact, showing visitors a more realistic version of what life is like for real marine mammals rather than displaying the captive animals’ unnatural and repetitive behavior patterns which are linked to their oppressive environment is actually more educational, with no risk to human life.”

Eli’s entire letter can be read at RadarOnline.

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