Global Captive Orca Population

Poor Keto... And what a record, four dead orcas in four years.

Will be very difficult for LP to get more orcas if the transfer from Marineland is blocked, I think. Their only option would be to import them from China, and laws apart, that would be a very bad marketing decision. Also, what are the other options for the french whales?
 
Merintia said:
Poor Keto... And what a record, four dead orcas in four years.

Will be very difficult for LP to get more orcas if the transfer from Marineland is blocked, I think. Their only option would be to import them from China, and laws apart, that would be a very bad marketing decision. Also, what are the other options for the french whales?
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I believe the other options are essentially just “sanctuaries” that don’t actually exist, have no permits, and no accurate timeline.
 
Absolutely devastating news regarding Keto.

Despite his past, he was always a fairly reliable whale and a very social one too. I do know he was a favorite of many. I'd imagine he'd be missed sorely by his trainers and these who knew him. And of course, the remaining three whales; he was very close to Tekoa.

Hopefully all other three orcas are doing well and healthy but as the track record shows, things don't seem to be going too well.:confused:
 
BlobfishBoy said:
Keto has passed away at the age of 29 years old and a necropsy will take place to determine the cause of death.

Things are looking pretty poor for LP’s orca program. Morgan may have more calves in her lifetime but I get the feeling that with Keto’s death along with all the previous orca deaths not long ago, the French courts will choose to block the transfer of the Marineland whales to LP (we’ll know for sure in two weeks). I’m unsure where they would get more whales if not from Marineland and with just one female the population is unsustainable.

Loro Parque on Instagram: " Loro Parque lamenta profundamente el fallecimiento de Keto. Con el corazón roto, compartimos la triste noticia del fallecimiento de Keto, nuestra querida orca macho de 29 años. Durante años, Keto fue un embajador excepcional de su especie, cautivando con su imponente presencia y su personalidad única. Su partida deja un vacío irreparable en nuestros corazones y en todo nuestro equipo. Para quienes lo cuidaron y compartieron cada día con él, Keto no era solo una orca: era parte de nuestra familia. Su recuerdo vivirá siempre en quienes tuvieron la suerte de conocerlo y aprender de él. Les invitamos a leer el comunicado completo en nuestro blog. El link está en nuestra bio. Loro Parque is heartbroken by the loss of Keto. With sadness in our hearts, we share the heartbreaking news about the passing of Keto, our beloved 29-year-old male orca. Since 2006, Keto was an extraordinary ambassador for his species, captivating everyone with his majestic presence and unique personality. His departure leaves an irreplaceable void in our hearts and throughout our entire team. To those who cared for him and shared each day by his side, Keto was far more than an orca—he was family. His memory will live on forever in the hearts of those who had the privilege to know him and learn from him. You can read the full statement on our blog. The link is in our bio. Loro Parque bedauert den Verlust von Keto Schweren Herzens teilen wir die traurige Nachricht vom Tod von Keto, unserem geliebten 29-jährigen Orca-Männchen. Jahrelang war Keto ein außergewöhnlicher Botschafter seiner Art und faszinierte durch seine imposante Präsenz und einzigartige Persönlichkeit. Sein Tod hinterlässt eine unwiederbringliche Lücke in unseren Herzen und in unserem gesamten Team. Für diejenigen, die sich um ihn kümmerten und jeden Tag mit ihm teilten, war Keto nicht nur ein Orca: Er war Teil unserer Familie. Diejenigen, die das Glück hatten, ihn zu kennen und von ihm zu lernen, werden ihn immer in Erinnerung behalten. Wir laden Sie ein, die vollständige Meldung in unserem Blog zu lesen. Der Link befindet sich in unserer Bio."
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I hope Tekoa is okay. I know he was really close to him. My biggest condolences, to his caretakers. This leaves Loro Parque with only three whales left, Tekoa being the only one from the original transfer from SeaWorld.
 
TheOceanicHippo said:
My biggest condolences, to his caretakers. This leaves Loro Parque with only three whales left, Tekoa being the only one from the original transfer from SeaWorld
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At least on a positive note with Keto now being gone, if Morgan were to successfully conceive once again it's highly likely Tekoa will father the calf which would be awesome to continue Gudrun/Taima's line!
 
Kobe Suma has now offered to take the two French whales. Apparently transfer permits have been requested.

C'est Assez ! on Instagram: "URGENCE POUR WIKIE ET KEIJO ! COMMENT AGIR ⤵️ @cest.assez.association et @tilikumspirit alertent sur le transfert imminent des orques vers leur future destination, probablement le Kobe Suma Sea World au Japon. Il est possible que les orques partent AVANT le 5 décembre, date à laquelle est attendue une décision judiciaire sur le sort de Wikie et Keijo. Les demandes de permis d’exportation pourraient être faites dans les prochains jours, scellant ainsi le sombre destin des deux dernières orques captives de France. Seule une décision ministérielle pourrait empêcher un transfert vers un autre mouroir au Japon. Mentionnez la ministre @agnesrunacher en commentaire de ce post pour lui demander de ne pas accorder les permis d’exportation ! ✍️ C’est Assez! lance une nouvelle pétition pour les orques (lien en bio). Signez et partagez MASSIVEMENT la nouvelle pétition de C’est Assez! pour ajouter de la pression. Le gouvernement PEUT et DOIT empêcher ce départ en refusant de délivrer les permis nécessaires au transfert ! C’est urgent ! Wikie et Keijo ont besoin de vous plus que jamais. @tilikumspirit #wikie #keijo #japon #japan #marineland #kobesumaseaworld"
 
BlobfishBoy said:
Kobe Suma has now offered to take the two French whales. Apparently transfer permits have been requested.

C'est Assez ! on Instagram: "URGENCE POUR WIKIE ET KEIJO ! COMMENT AGIR ⤵️ @cest.assez.association et @tilikumspirit alertent sur le transfert imminent des orques vers leur future destination, probablement le Kobe Suma Sea World au Japon. Il est possible que les orques partent AVANT le 5 décembre, date à laquelle est attendue une décision judiciaire sur le sort de Wikie et Keijo. Les demandes de permis d’exportation pourraient être faites dans les prochains jours, scellant ainsi le sombre destin des deux dernières orques captives de France. Seule une décision ministérielle pourrait empêcher un transfert vers un autre mouroir au Japon. Mentionnez la ministre @agnesrunacher en commentaire de ce post pour lui demander de ne pas accorder les permis d’exportation ! ✍️ C’est Assez! lance une nouvelle pétition pour les orques (lien en bio). Signez et partagez MASSIVEMENT la nouvelle pétition de C’est Assez! pour ajouter de la pression. Le gouvernement PEUT et DOIT empêcher ce départ en refusant de délivrer les permis nécessaires au transfert ! C’est urgent ! Wikie et Keijo ont besoin de vous plus que jamais. @tilikumspirit #wikie #keijo #japon #japan #marineland #kobesumaseaworld"
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I guess this is realistically the best case for Antibes remaining pair of whales; although the facility is tiny, they'll at least get the opportunity to meet other whales and hopefully breed too. All of the Japanese facilities also have notoriously good health and welfare care, so it's also the best situation for them in that aspect too.

Japan are obviously quite eager to get their hands on Keijo especially, who will be very valuable to their breeding program.
 
I don't see nothing good on them going to Japan. No succesfully breeding there in more than 10 years, despite their many attempts through AI. And even if it was, I don't think a succesful calf would be something to celebrate, as I don't see on the births in China. Those animals may have the best diet and vet care, but the enclosures are tiny and no conservation or education comes from them.
 
It's a real shame Seaworld isn't managing Loro Parque like they once were prior to the sale of the whales in 2017. It's no coincidence things started to trend downhill not long after.

Whilst Loro Parque's care is an issue, I guess it does outweigh Japan's facilities of whom are comparatively tiny for the orcas who live there.

And she does bring up a fair point regarding the regulations over there; little to none, which does allow the Japanese facilities to operate their program with much more freedom to an extent. But obviously this does come with its repercussions too (letting a facility do whatever it wants is not always the best course!).
 
Hopefully Wiki and Keijo should have a better chance at integrating into Loro Parque than at any of the Japanese parks. Not sure whether Morgan is now technically the dominant whale or if this was Keto? They will also be able to stay together that way. I could have seen Kobe moving Keijo between them and Kamogawa and Wiki being sent to Nagoya under some sort of breeding loan/agreement. Lovey and Stella seem to be fairly dominant animals and may not have reacted well to a new dominant female in the mix. Also Nagoya, and Kobe to an extent, would struggle to separate the animals should anything go badly.
 
katinakalinakaterina said:
Hopefully Wiki and Keijo should have a better chance at integrating into Loro Parque than at any of the Japanese parks. Not sure whether Morgan is now technically the dominant whale or if this was Keto? They will also be able to stay together that way. I could have seen Kobe moving Keijo between them and Kamogawa and Wiki being sent to Nagoya under some sort of breeding loan/agreement. Lovey and Stella seem to be fairly dominant animals and may not have reacted well to a new dominant female in the mix. Also Nagoya, and Kobe to an extent, would struggle to separate the animals should anything go badly.
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Keto was apparently the dominant orca following Kohana's passing. This obviously never works well. San Antonio had many issues over the years having bulls like Keto and Ky in charge. Mainly surrounding behaviour and cooperation.

Therefore having a female like Wikie come in should do Loro Parque quite well. Morgan isn't a very dominant female, and Tekoa certainly isn't too for a male. Adan's still a younger male and is quite submissive himself. So at the moment Loro Parque lacks any sort of dominant presence, which could also be a problem in itself.

Taking into account the size of Suma, it's probably likely they wouldn't have been able to accommodate both whales. Rotating Keijo between both parks probably made the most sense. And perhaps they would have swapped Lynn for Wikie directly, allowing her to breed with Earth. So I guess it wouldn't have been the best outlook for them.
 
Is there an underlying reason why Loro Parque has had so many deaths in a short time? Or is it just bad luck?

Also I find it quite odd that LP seems to lack a dedicated page of its own on this site.
 
Evo said:
Is there an underlying reason why Loro Parque has had so many deaths in a short time? Or is it just bad luck?

Also I find it quite odd that LP seems to lack a dedicated page of its own on this site.
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There is a Loro Park Tenerife thread but it doesn't get much activity, whether that's because not as much goes on or not as many people on this site visit I can't say.

It's likely a mix of bad luck and poor management, Kohana had a heart condition from birth that could have killed her at any time, Ula I would argue never really thrived but that's just my thoughts on that one. Skyla died of twisted intestines which I think is fairly common in captive orcas but not 100% sure of the cause. Keto I don't know enough about at the moment. Not sure how much input SeaWorld had in their day to day care and management practices before they transferred ownership but Loro Parque made some poor choices after this.
 
Evo said:
Is there an underlying reason why Loro Parque has had so many deaths in a short time? Or is it just bad luck?

Also I find it quite odd that LP seems to lack a dedicated page of its own on this site.
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The main cause of the deaths is believed to be a diet change to purely one species of fish (herring) along with possibly measuring food given by volume instead of calories during COVID. All of their cetaceans were noted to have some intestinal issues. Even Kohanna, who did have a heart defect, was found to have been infected with bacteria mainly from the gut. There was a conference in which a veterinarian used Ula’s case as a case study which talks about these issues. Here’s a link to some insta posts which summarize what went down there.

empty.the.memes on Instagram: "PART 1 ⚠️WARNING: This post contains material that viewers may find disturbing. This includes necropsy photos and detailed events of animals in medical distress.⚠️ During the 2023 IAAAM conference, a speaker discussed the sonographic identification of intestinal loop inflammation and necrotizing enterocolitis in cetaceans, focusing on its potential relation to their diet. The presentation was based on the speaker's experience at Loro Parque, where they were consulted to examine Ula, who was experiencing unresolved digestive issues. The speaker conducted a full ultrasonographic checkup on 17 cetaceans at the facility, identifying common signs of digestive problems, including delayed digestion, full stomachs, enlarged pyloric stomachs, enlarged intestinal loops, inflammation, liver inflammation, and ascites. One animal displayed signs of intermittent partial ileus and transient intussusception, indicating a potential obstruction. Others showed pericardial effusion, pleural involvement, and bronchopneumonia. Cholangitis, characterized by strong periportal cuffing, was common among the animals, signifying inflammatory bowel disease. The histopathology of Skyla, who had died from torsion, revealed sclerosing cholangitis, associated with IBD in humans. The worst-affected individual was Ula, who was on a full fish diet for about one and a half years. Ula presented with fluid-filled dilated bowel loops, and her weight evolution showed regurgitation, and weight loss. Loro Parque had transitioned all of their cetaceans to a herring-only diet, likely contributing to her condition. Reducing the volume of Ula's food intake improved her behavior and blood work, but her condition worsened, and she developed important ascites. The possibility of portal hypertension or inflamed intestinal loops contributing to the ascites was considered. Full video: https://vimeo.com/840905899/3d87386649?share=copy . . . Post by: @empty.the.memes Most of the things talked about in the post are either direct quotes, or are very similar to what the speaker said. Photos: Either from the presentation or taken by Loro Parque"

empty.the.memes on Instagram: "PART 2 ⚠️WARNING: This post contains material that viewers may find disturbing. This includes necropsy photos and detailed events of animals in medical distress.⚠️ The speaker discussed Ula's deteriorating health, monitored through ultrasound. Ula displayed extended pneumatosis, indicating gas within the intestinal wall, suggesting mucosal integrity loss. Her ascites, initially clear, developed septation, potentially signaling bowel perforation and adhesion formation. Micro air bubbles in her liver suggested portal vein gas, a severe gastrointestinal issue often linked to bowel ischemia. This mirrored human medicine's diagnosis of necrotizing enterocolitis. As Ula's condition worsened, she became nonresponsive and apathetic, leading to a decision to withhold food (NPO) and provide hydration through a balanced electrolyte solution. This approach reduced ascites and improved behavior. After seven days of NPO, there was significant improvement, but Ula began showing interest in food, leading to attempts to reintroduce a fish gruel to her diet. However, they experienced issues with sludge formation and reduced motility. Exceeding certain fish volumes, especially fatty fish, led to regurgitation and vomiting. The team observed mesenteric vein enlargement and digestive tract issues. Despite diet and weight management efforts, Ula continued to lose weight slowly. The team then decided to reintroduce regular feeding with intervals but observed signs of inflammation in her blood and a rapid weight drop. The ultrasound revealed a worsening condition, including intestinal loops indicative of a twisted gut. Ula's ascites became hyper-echoic, likely due to local bleeding, and she developed peritonitis. Despite 24-hour care and IV treatment, Ula sadly passed away. The necropsy confirmed the ultrasound findings, revealing a complete mesenteric torsion with nine loops and chronic inflammatory processes in the digestive system, as well as fibrosis in the portal system. *Continued in the comments* Post by: @empty.the.memes Most of the things talked about in the post are either direct quotes, or are very similar to what the speaker said."

empty.the.memes on Instagram: "PART 3 ⚠️WARNING: This post contains material that viewers may find disturbing. This includes necropsy photos.⚠️ In the final section of the presentation, the speaker discussed the common factors and possible causes of intestinal and extraintestinal disorders in cetaceans, specifically adult necrotizing enterocolitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). These conditions are characterized by immune-mediated inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, but IBD is chronic and relapsing, while adult necrotizing enterocolitis involves a disequilibrium between injury and repair of the intestinal mucosa, often linked to risk factors like intestinal ischemia and bacterial colonization. The speaker highlighted common factors observed in affected animals, including increases in food volume, rapid weight gain, frequent regurgitation, and signs of delayed digestion. The speaker referenced 27 cases over 20 years from various institutions with comparable intestinal pathologies and dietary remarks, suggesting a nutritional origin or contributing factor to these issues. She briefly mentioned Victoria, who was a "copy-paste" of Ula's case. To address these concerns, the speaker introduced the concept of "cetacean IBSLD" (Cetacean Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome-Like Disease), indicating a potential link to nutrition, although a genetic origin is not ruled out. The presentation emphasized the importance of considering an animal's specific maximum food volume per day, taking into account the time between feedings and the variability in food weight and calorie content. The speaker suggested that food accumulation and delayed digestion may lead to intestinal distension, slowed fecal transit, potential ischemia, bacterial overgrowth, and enterocolitis or mucosal damage in cetaceans. The conclusion and take-home message included the importance of performing ultrasound to check the bowel's health, avoiding overfeeding, implementing controlled nutritional plans, and using calorie-based measurements rather than kilos to determine food volume. *Continued in the comments* Post by: @empty.the.memes Most of the things talked about in the post are direct quotes."
 
Repost of my Marineland Antibes thread post:

Bad news: the December 5th hearing has taken place and it’s been decided the whales must stay in France until an “expert assessment” has been done, regardless of whether Marineland is closed or not.

Regardless of the opinion of groups like One Voice, there are no sanctuaries and Marineland’s infrastructure and water quality is failing. Forcing the whales to stay at this point is in blatant disregard for their welfare. For how long will this go on? At this point these whales just need to get out ASAP. Hopefully they don’t end up like Moana or Inouk (who may still be alive if previous transfers were not blocked).

One Voice on Instagram: "La cour d’appel d’Aix-en-Provence vient de rendre sa décision : Wikie et Keijo doivent rester sur place jusqu’à la fin de l’expertise, fermeture de Marineland ou pas. #SauvonsNosOrques #StopDelphinarium"
 
BlobfishBoy said:
Repost of my Marineland Antibes thread post:

Bad news: the December 5th hearing has taken place and it’s been decided the whales must stay in France until an “expert assessment” has been done, regardless of whether Marineland is closed or not.

Regardless of the opinion of groups like One Voice, there are no sanctuaries and Marineland’s infrastructure and water quality is failing. Forcing the whales to stay at this point is in blatant disregard for their welfare. For how long will this go on? At this point these whales just need to get out ASAP. Hopefully they don’t end up like Moana or Inouk (who may still be alive if previous transfers were not blocked).

One Voice on Instagram: "La cour d’appel d’Aix-en-Provence vient de rendre sa décision : Wikie et Keijo doivent rester sur place jusqu’à la fin de l’expertise, fermeture de Marineland ou pas. #SauvonsNosOrques #StopDelphinarium"
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None of these activists care about the welfare of the whales but rather their own political agenda. Groups like C’est Assez have implied that they would rather these whales die then be moved to another facility unless it is a seaside sanctuary which does not exist or is close to existing. Even the option of euthanasia was put on the table recently. There is just a blatant lack of humanity from both sides of the issue, Marineland management failing to properly take care of their tanks leading to health issues and the deaths of two of their whales, to these groups lobbying the government with only the motive of cetacean captivity not being spread and even being prioritizing that over the wellbeing and lives of Wikie and Keijo. I hate to be a pessimist but I do believe that these two will face the same fate as Inouk and Moana.
 
Marineland released a press release today regarding their closure:

https://www.marineland.fr/content/d...re définitive à compter du 5 janvier 2025.pdf

Nothing really new stated but once again Marineland says that their plans are to rehome all of their animals. It sounds like the French government in on board with sending them to Loro Parque from what I have heard but no official announcement yet. At this point anything is better then euthanasia and it would provide Wikie and Morgan with a female companion which would be beneficial for both of them.
 
GREAT NEWS! The French Government has denied C'est Assez's proposal to ban the transfer of cetaceans in and out of the country and will be leaving all transfer permits to CITES as they have been. The government is now going to make a decision on what will happen to Wikie and Kejio but it has not been announced when it will come out. Regardless it is a very positive step forward that C'est Assez has been rejected and will not be apart of the final decision making when it comes to the fate of the whales.

C'est Assez ! on Instagram: " Rappel : avec notre avocate @arielle_moreau, nous avons déposé en janvier 2024 un recours devant le Conseil d’État pour demander l’interdiction des transferts de cétacés à des fins commerciales. Notre objectif est de protéger les cétacés captifs en France, afin qu’ils ne soient pas envoyés dans d’autres parcs à l’étranger où leurs conditions de vie pourraient être encore pires. L’audience a eu lieu hier, lundi 9 décembre. Le rapporteur du Conseil d’État, qui donne un avis avant que le juge prenne sa décision, a soutenu notre position. Selon lui, le bien-être des animaux est une raison valable pour interdire le transfert de cétacés vers d’autres parcs zoologiques. Il a même mentionné un exemple : une décision de justice aux Pays-Bas avait refusé qu’un grand dauphin soit envoyé dans un parc en Chine, au motif que ce transfert servait des objectifs commerciaux, au détriment du bien-être animal. Cependant, le rapporteur estime que cette interdiction ne peut pas être générale : chaque cas doit être examiné individuellement par l’autorité responsable (CITES) lorsqu’elle décide de délivrer ou non un permis de transfert. Il rejette donc l’idée d’une interdiction totale et universelle des transferts de cétacés. En résumé, tout dépendra de l’État et, en dernier recours, des juges pour prendre ces décisions. La décision des transferts est, en somme, une décision politique. Nous attendons maintenant la décision du Conseil d’État, qui devra dire s’il suit cette analyse ou s’il choisit d’aller plus loin pour renforcer la protection des cétacés. Enfin, un point important reste en suspens : si une interdiction générale était adoptée, qui paierait pour s’occuper des cétacés captifs à long terme ? Comme dans d’autres cas similaires, il semblerait logique que les parcs zoologiques et leurs actionnaires soient responsables de ces coûts. #orques #marineland #wikie #keijo #dauphins #dolphins"
 
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