NEUROTIC? 17:00 Feb 26 2010
Times Read: 958
NEUROTIC KILLER WHALES.
It's comical, in a dark and morbid way, to see journalists and experts furrowing their collective brows while searching deeply for a satisfactory reason to explain the deadly actions of a KILLER WHALE.
For example:
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From CNN: In 1999, Tilikum was blamed for the death of a 27-year-old man whose body was found floating on his back in a tank at SeaWorld, the apparent victim of a whale's "horseplay," authorities said then.
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I don't entirely blame the journalists for adding this detail, but it seems like they're building a case that Tilikum is a crazed serial killer. No doubt, these animals are dangerous. We knew that already. This is a bizarre part of the animal's history, but it's meant to draw you in.
To be fair, the man hid in the park until it was closed for the night. Then climbed into the tank with the killer whale. A 12,000 pound killer whale. The result seems obvious to me.
Swimming with a large 6-ton animal, even if engaging in 'horseplay', is like playing with a bulldozer -- with teeth. Humans, by comparison, are pretty fragile playthings. And we can't hold our breath for very long.
And there's this:
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The same whale has been linked previously to two other deaths. Tilikum and two other whales also were involved in the drowning of a trainer at a Victoria, British Columbia, marine park in 1991. The trainer fell into the whale tank at the Sea Land Marine Park Victoria and was dragged underwater as park visitors watched.
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Now, if you ask me, since this was the first deadly event associated with this whale, I think Tilikum should have been set free. He wasn't.
So now, it's almost 20 years later:
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"While this (recent) incident remains the subject of an ongoing death investigation, there are no signs of foul play," the sheriff's statement said. "All evidence and witness statements indicate that the death was a tragic accident." - Orange County Sheriff's Office
Foul play? No one is suggesting that the trainer was pushed into the water. But I guess they have to worry about lawsuits at this point, given the whale's history, which means human activity has to be ruled out.
Here's the thing: I know I'm supposed to appreciate zoos and aquariums because they're the only way I'd ever see a real lion, or a polar bear, or elephant. But I don't enjoy them. I don't know if animals are truly capable of happiness, but I'm pretty sure they'd prefer to be in their natural habitat without walls or curious onlookers. They may not be safer there, in the wild, but the rest of us would be.
Just saying.
Now, since we're looking for explanations, let's go FULL SPEED AHEAD. Think outside the box. Into the DEEP END (pun intended). Etc. Never mind that we're discussing an animal. Even an animal that has been in captivity for 20 years, is still a wild animal. But let's explore EVERY possible motivation. Ready?
Here we go:
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Tilikum could have been trying to play with Brancheau or get her attention or companionship, said Nancy Black, a marine biologist who has studied whales for 20 years.
But, she noted, the whale could also have been frustrated for some reason.
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Frustrated?
Lonely?
Playful?
Sure. Whatev.
They don't know.
And of course, no story about killer whales is complete without a few hand grenades thrown from PETA:
A spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals called the death "a tragedy that didn't have to happen."
Jaime Zalac said the organization had called on SeaWorld "to stop confining oceangoing mammals to an area that to them is like the size of a bathtub, and we have also been asking the park to stop forcing the animals to perform silly tricks over and over again. It's not surprising when these huge, smart animals lash out."
Got that? It's our own damn fault. No one said that the killer whale was lashing out in frustration. but this will become the narrative. He did it because he was driven insane.
Ooookay.
We may NEVER KNOW for sure WHY the killer whale pulled the woman into the pool. Maybe he was playful. Maybe he was bored with this routine and her ponytail looked interesting. How could anyone tell the difference?
Come PLAY with me!
It's an animal, and despite the fact that we've been studying animal behavior for decades, we know very little about the 'psychology' of mammals.
Final word:
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"They get very stressed out," marine biologist Nancy Black of Monterey Bay Whale Watch said on CNN's "Larry King Live."
"'Neurotic' is the word that we've used, and I sense that that's probably what's happening," he said. "Perhaps that's what drives some of these issues."
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I spoke too soon. 24 hours after her previous statement, NOW she's inclined to suggest that perhaps maybe the whale was neurotic. Because a sane killer whale out in the wild is... LESS dangerous? WTF?
"Probably."
"Perhaps."
These are the words used by people who don't REALLY know. He was, after all, an animal. And I'm not sure how how sane and rational a killer whale is on a GOOD day... inasmuch as those terms could even apply to a whale, regardless of captivity. I'm no expert but I've seen the footage taken that day - just minutes before her death, and he doesn't seem 'neurotic'. No one seemed concerned about his behavior at all.
But, as I said before, this will become the established narrative; he was driven insane by repetition and routine, and lashed out in frustration.
Mark my words.
Mark them.
Exit question:
What should we do with a problematic killer whale that has been in captivity for so long? Set him free? Keep him in captivity, but retire him from entertainment?
Euthanize him?
COMMENTS
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BLOODLIFE
22:47 Feb 28 2010
Seek them out at night ;-)
Theban
11:41 Mar 03 2010
I have a cricket bat...not quiet the same though!
ThothLestat
18:26 Mar 03 2010
I have three baseball bats.. I'll trade you! I always wanted a cricket bat.