Irrawaddy dolphin

[SealPup]

Irrawaddy dolphins are considered endangered or vulnerable, though not exceedingly rare over their range. Yet there seems to be a new disease threatening them in some parts of their range. Instead of dolphinarium shows or trying to save the vaquita, wouldn't it be better if aquarium and conservation people, prevented the potential outbreak by bringing Irrawaddy dolphins into captivity whilst there is time?

 

[Fallax]

Well, they are quite small so there is a plus. I would definitley like to see these in captivity.

 

[aardvark250]

I think I've saw some photos in gallery in, if I'm correct,pattya dolphin world(or sth like that)?

 

[SealPup]

They aren't too uncommon in SEA aquaria: but my thoughts is, if they are showing signs of increasing disease in the wild, and they still have a large range, now is a good time to intervene: a diverse captive founding population checked for disease.

 

[Kakapo]

Irrawaddy dolphins are considered endangered or vulnerable, though not exceedingly rare over their range. Yet there seems to be a new disease threatening them in some parts of their range. Instead of dolphinarium shows or trying to save the vaquita, wouldn't it be better if aquarium and conservation people, prevented the potential outbreak by bringing Irrawaddy dolphins into captivity whilst there is time?

There are many cetaceans that are endangered but not at the edge like vaquita, and that can be kept and breed in captivity with relative ease due to relatively small sice and fish or squid feeding needs (odontoceti). And certainly I would die for see many of these species in dolphinariums instead more and more and more and more bottlenoses. But the problem is the regulation and the society. Bottlenoses have a big captive stock so they can provide dolphinariums with many captive born specimens, however captive born specimens cannot be provided easily for rarer specimens not widely present in captivity, and the law made almost impossible to import wild born specimens. About the society, there is much anti-zoo tought in respect to cetaceans, where people tend to assimilate dolphinariums to "jails" for these "non-human persons". So in general, people don't want cetaceans in tanks. And public collections must follow the general public opinion in order to survive economically.

P S. No doubt sometimes cetaceans are kept in poor conditions, but this is the exception more than the rule. If this is a "jail", I must do some crime for get into the paradise luxury that for most captive animals represent their enclosure

 

[SealPup]

If you define a "proper" animal as most people would, those with anything resembling human traits, then they are surely all non-human persons. I don't see why a subclade of artiodactyls became special. At Quistacocha someone was gushing how human the river dolphin was because he was masturbating with a blanket in public, not realising pigs will do the same. And even if higher odontocetes with complex societies are especially human-like, more basally diverging species like river dolphins won't be. Even PETA got in on the act of mocking dophin-ists once, because the preference for certain species humans find anthropomorphic is anthropocentric in itself, and detracts from issues on one's doorstep.

Its not that they don't have "human" traits or "personhood", its just that the bits that matter most (like pain perception) are far more widespread in the animal kingdom, that laws being written from human perspectives can at most treat animals as we do small children or the mentally impaired, and that the animals might not benefit 100% from human rights. With small and manageable cetaceans in decline the misplaced concern for them is starting to work against them, maybe.

However, there are dolphinaria in Thailand and nearby countries: yes, local captive populations would be possible.

 

[TheMightyOrca]

I'm open to it being done as a legitimate conservation effort. And if you're going to try captive breeding for conservation, it's better to start while there's still a decent population size instead of waiting until there are 30 left and the death of a single specimen is a huge blow to the population. I know that some are already kept in captivity, how well do they do?