There is no peace for Kiska: despite appeals from animal welfare organizations and a petition, the loneliest killer whale in the world is still a prisoner in the Canadian MarineLand park, where it has been locked up for 40 years. And episodes of self-harm are more and more frequent
You remember Kiska? It is sadly known for being the loneliest killer whale in the world, as it is the only specimen that "lives" (or rather survives) in complete solitude in the MarineLand water park, in Ontario (Canada). Last year, the distressing video that showed the sea animal banging its head against the glass walls of the tank in which it is a prisoner had made the rounds of social media. A little less than a year after the release of that video, another shocking one arrives which confirms that the poor orca is getting worse and worse.
The terrifying new video was posted on Twitter and Instagram by Canadian Phil Demers, a former MarineLand marine mammal trainer, who is now fighting to protect animal rights. In the images taken from above, we see Kiska, prey to stress and suffering, bumping into the glass of the tub. An obvious self-defeating gesture.
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A post shared by Phil Demers (@walrus_whisperer)
The video was then shared again on the social channels of Animal Justice, one of the most important animal rights associations in Canada, which makes it known:
Last year's footage showed the same disturbing behavior and we sent this new video to the authorities, who are now investigating her well-being. #FreeKiska
Isolated Orca Kiska Self-Harming at Marineland
UPDATE: Shocking new footage of Kiska, the lone orca at Marineland, shows her bashing her body against the side of her tank. Footage from last year showed the same disturbing behaviour, & Animal Justice sent this new video to authorities, who are now investigating her well-being.
Posted by Animal Justice on Monday, April 11, 2022
Kiska's harrowing story
Kiska's is a bleak story to say the least. The orca was taken from Icelandic waters about 40 years ago to be locked up in the Canadian park. The specimen outlived her fellow men and even her children and since 2011 she is completely alone. Due to the captivity and the strong stress, the animal alternates between periods in which it remains completely motionless and moments in which it bumps into the tank.
Unfortunately, this repetitive and self-injurious behavior displayed by Kiska has been observed in other orcas in captivity, where years of boredom in arid, anonymous tanks with little or no stimulation lead to such manifestations - explains Rob Lott of the Whale and Dolphin Conservation, the behavior is caused by the stress experienced by the marine creature, captured by the ocean and forced to remain locked up in a water park for over 40 years. - Chronic stress can compromise the immune system and physiology of captive killer whales, leading to disease and even death. Kiska has lived without her like her since 2011 and has been stripped of every aspect of the social culture she would have experienced in nature.
To save Kiska, one was also launched last year petition, signed by over 400 thousand people. But to date nothing has changed for this poor sea creature forced into a hellish existence. Is it possible that no one will be able to intervene to free her and give her a minimum of serenity ?!
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Fonti: Philip Demers (Instagram)/Animal Justice
Read also:
- Locked up in a water park for 40 years, Kiska bangs her head against the tub in desperation. Let's save the loneliest killer whale in the world!
- Goodbye Kina: the pseudorca died at 44 after a life of imprisonment, suffering and loneliness
- Freed Kasya, the dolphin left alone and imprisoned in an aquarium of Theran
