Shamu kills trainer at Seaworld

[Lauren8211]

This is awful!

Shamu Kills Trainer

Killer Whale Attacks During Show

ORLANDO, Fla. — An employee at SeaWorld Orlando has died after being attacked by a killer whale.

Orange County Fire Rescue spokesman John Mulhall says paramedics were called Wednesday afternoon to the Shamu Stadium at the theme park where they found a worker who could not be revived.

Park guest Victoria Biniak told WKMG-TV that the trainer had just finished explaining to the audience the show they were about to see.

Biniak told the station the whale suddenly came up from the water, grabbed the trainer around the waist and "thrashed her all around" to the point the trainer''s shoe fell off.

The guests were evacuated and the park was closed.

 

[Prana]

That is terrible.

Apparently the whale had had enough.

ETA: I wonder what the repercussions for the whale will be...

 

[étoile]

Oh my! That''s crazy. I''ve been to the show a couple times and really enjoyed it. I feel bad for the whale and the trainer.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 2/24/2010 4:07:14 PM
Author: girlface
That is terrible.

Apparently the whale had had enough.

ETA: I wonder what the repercussions for the whale will be...

I wonder also. Seems a little unfair to disrupt their natural lives and then inevitably ''punish'' the animal when it attacks a human.

I''m also surprised this doesnt happen more often.

 

[purselover]

How sad, especially for that to happen in front of an audience that I''m sure was filled with children. This is why I don''t think animals should be used for entertainment too many bad things can happen.

 

[rhbgirl24]

Such a shame.... but given the fact that they are wild animals, in a habitat that is MUCH smaller than the ones in nature, things like this are bound to happen. I have a degree that started it out specializing in the psychology of Marine mammals and I''ve been on their backstage tour. Their habitats are nice, well cared for, and clean, however shouldn''t be housing a 7000+ lb predator.....

I just hope they dont have to put the animal down now....

 

[janinegirly]

How awful. According to cnn though, it was not during a performance. Still just awful to imagine. Who knows why or how this came about but another example of how animals with instinct to kill are first and foremost animals, not caged versions of humans.

 

[étoile]

Date: 2/24/2010 4:09:28 PM
Author: purselover
How sad, especially for that to happen in front of an audience that I''m sure was filled with children. This is why I don''t think animals should be used for entertainment too many bad things can happen.

So true, I didn''t even think of the audience. It seems to always happen eventually.

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 2/24/2010 4:10:37 PM
Author: janinegirly
How awful. According to cnn though, it was not during a performance. Still just awful to imagine. Who knows why or how this came about but another example of how animals with instinct to kill are first and foremost animals, not caged versions of humans.

...wonder why there is a discrepancy. The quotes in the HuffPost article are of a witness that said it was during a show. Strange.

 

[trillionaire]

so sad for the whale and trainer. And of course the audience.

 

[iheartscience]

Yikes. I agree with everyone saying that these animals should not be used for performance purposes. It''s still awful for the trainer killed, though.

 

[luvmyhalo]

How very sad. We''ve taken my 3 yr old daughter to Sea World many times and were about to buy season passes for this year. Really makes you think about these wild animals who are forced to "perform" for our entertainment. Something similar happened a few years ago if I''m remembering correctly. The trainer wasn''t killed though. So sad.

 

[janinegirly]

Date: 2/24/2010 4:12:04 PM
Author: elledizzy5

Date: 2/24/2010 4:10:37 PM
Author: janinegirly
How awful. According to cnn though, it was not during a performance. Still just awful to imagine. Who knows why or how this came about but another example of how animals with instinct to kill are first and foremost animals, not caged versions of humans.

...wonder why there is a discrepancy. The quotes in the HuffPost article are of a witness that said it was during a show. Strange.

Here''s the excerpt from cnn. Kind of contradictory! So thinking maybe it wasn''t a show but people were around watching what she was doing?

"The incident did not occur during a performance, said a spokeswoman for SeaWorld, who added that more information was to be released soon.

Victoria Biniak told CNN affiliate WKMG that she saw the deadly incident from a viewing area".

 

[Lauren8211]

Date: 2/24/2010 4:17:13 PM
Author: janinegirly

Date: 2/24/2010 4:12:04 PM
Author: elledizzy5

Date: 2/24/2010 4:10:37 PM
Author: janinegirly
How awful. According to cnn though, it was not during a performance. Still just awful to imagine. Who knows why or how this came about but another example of how animals with instinct to kill are first and foremost animals, not caged versions of humans.

...wonder why there is a discrepancy. The quotes in the HuffPost article are of a witness that said it was during a show. Strange.

Here''s the excerpt from cnn. Kind of contradictory! So thinking maybe it wasn''t a show but people were around watching what she was doing?

''The incident did not occur during a performance, said a spokeswoman for SeaWorld, who added that more information was to be released soon.

Victoria Biniak told CNN affiliate WKMG that she saw the deadly incident from a viewing area''.

Must be, because they mentioned explaining to an audience...

 

[purselover]

Here's a link to a LATimes article Link

This is not the first incident involving this particular whale.

ETA: here is an excerpt

Local 6 is reporting that the whale involved in the incident is named Tillikum, and that whale has been involved in at least one other incident at the park.

Tillikum, nicknamed "Tilly," has a controversial past. The large whale was blamed for the drowning of one of his trainers in 1991 while he was performing at Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia.

Sold to SeaWorld as a stud in 1992, the whale was involved in a second incident when authorities discovered the body of a naked man lying across his back in July 1999.

Authorities later concluded the man, who had either snuck into SeaWorld after hours or hidden in the park until it closed, most likely drowned after suffering hypothermia in the 55-degree water.

But they also said it appeared Tillikum had bit the man and tore of his swimming trunks, likely believing he was a toy to play with.

SeaWorld has had incidents with its killer whales in the past. In 2005, a trainer was injured by what park officials called an "overly excited" whale that bumped the trainer during a live performance. The injuries were minor.

Many animal-rights activists have long criticized SeaWorld and other marine parks for keeping orcas and other wildlife in captivity. Russ Rector, a former dolphin trainer in Fort Lauderdale, said keeping the animals captive makes them dangerous.

"Captivity is abusive to these animals. And the abuse mounts up. And when these animals snap -- just for a minute -- they're so big and can be so dangerous that it's like a shotgun," Rector said. "It does an incredible amount of damage in just a moment."

 

[dragonfly411]

They trainers sometimes speak a few minutes before a show starts... the whales are let into the main tank 20-30 mins before the show starts..... so that''s a possibility


In all likelihood the animal will be retired and possibly moved to a remote area (they have many rehab locations we don''t ever see) to live it''s life without having to perform. Unfortunately, these are wild animals being "trained" to do tricks for us. I love that Sea World does such great work for preservation... but I honestly wish they''d reconsider doing so many shamu shows... even just limiting it to two times a day or something. Those animals have to do many performances day and night.... not really fair to the animal.

 

[elrohwen]

That is very very sad. I think there''s always a huge risk when you work with any large animal (look at how many elephants have killed or injured trainers) and it''s sad all around. A wild animal will always be a wild animal, no matter how well trained.

 

[Amethyste]

Date: 2/24/2010 4:10:37 PM
Author: janinegirly
How awful. According to cnn though, it was not during a performance. Still just awful to imagine. Who knows why or how this came about but another example of how animals with instinct to kill are first and foremost animals, not caged versions of humans.

Yes.... Indeed. That's why it is called a "killer" whale. I never understood the whole concept of keeping wild animals trapped in habitats that are so constaining...

Same goes with all these people that put their heads in lion's mouthes and get crushed, chase alligators, get decapitated, try to catch venimous snakes and get poisonned... Same for people keeping monkeys home and then get disfigured. It's asking for trouble! Then again, it is sad to see people die from doing their work like this trainer, but you must have a good knowledge and understanding that when you work with such animals, there are risks that can impact your life. There is a VERY fine line between humans and wild animals and we seem to constantly push it to the point where the animal has had enough and then react, usually in a very detrimental way...

We have "domesticated" animals home, like cats, dogs, rabbits etc... and we even get scratched and bit by them, i don't see why it would be any different in a circus/zoo/aquarium type of settings...

 

[étoile]

Off topic but...What a cute bunny Elrohwen!

 

[dragonfly411]

I''m very surprised by the fact that they have breeding age "stud" whales performing at all.... that''s just ...... dumb comes to mind...

 

[kenny]

The man in charge of the park just gave a press conference.

He said a 40 year old experienced female trainer slipped, fell into tank and drown.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 2/24/2010 4:35:03 PM
Author: étoile
Off topic but...What a cute bunny Elrohwen!

Haha, thank you!! I''ll tell him you said that

DF, I was surprised about the stud part too. Stud animals are notoriously difficult to handle, across all species. It just seems like a bad idea. They can very quickly turn agressive or territorial.

 

[Iowa Lizzy]

That''s just so sad. I''m torn on my opinion of these animals in captivity. I think sometimes it''s a good thing for preservation and education of the public. Other times, I think it''s sad and a little cruel. Having been to SeaWorld a few times growing up, I remember just being in awe of Shamu. Oh and the walruses and sea lions in the shows. There''s something so awe inspiring about these giant creatures.

 

[dragonfly411]

sorry - don''t believe it... esp if there were witnesses. They are probably trying to prevent people from taking a negative outlook towards the animals... and I don''t blame them one bit.


Stud animals are hard to work with yes. Horses come to mind... stud horses are powerful creatures... and it takes a certain type of person to work with them without destroying their minds... or having them become aggressive. Having a 7000lb stud whale perform?

 

[dragonfly411]

Date: 2/24/2010 4:44:18 PM
Author: Travel Goddess
That''s just so sad. I''m torn on my opinion of these animals in captivity. I think sometimes it''s a good thing for preservation and education of the public. Other times, I think it''s sad and a little cruel. Having been to SeaWorld a few times growing up, I remember just being in awe of Shamu. Oh and the walruses and sea lions in the shows. There''s something so awe inspiring about these giant creatures.

I agree, it is great for education... but I''ve always been a bit more appreciative of things like the dolphin cove and the sting ray tank.... where the animals don''t have to perform... and people can view them doing what''s somewhat natural to them.

 

[elrohwen]

Date: 2/24/2010 4:47:26 PM
Author: dragonfly411

Date: 2/24/2010 4:44:18 PM
Author: Travel Goddess
That''s just so sad. I''m torn on my opinion of these animals in captivity. I think sometimes it''s a good thing for preservation and education of the public. Other times, I think it''s sad and a little cruel. Having been to SeaWorld a few times growing up, I remember just being in awe of Shamu. Oh and the walruses and sea lions in the shows. There''s something so awe inspiring about these giant creatures.

I agree, it is great for education... but I''ve always been a bit more appreciative of things like the dolphin cove and the sting ray tank.... where the animals don''t have to perform... and people can view them doing what''s somewhat natural to them.

I always like the "shows" where they show you the training they do to make the animal easier to handle for vets, etc. They just do a demo of things like come here, lay here, swim away, etc. I think it''s so educational to show the public that training can make an animal''s life easier, not just get them to perform silly tricks (as great as silly tricks can be in our own pets). I''ve seen some otter and sea lion shows like this - it''s really more of an educational thing than a performance show, like the shamu stuff is.

 

[purrfectpear]

It''s the 2nd trainer that Tilly has killed, and possibly the 3rd human killed.

Check out Wikipedia and other sources. Tilly was already isolated from doing water work after the first two deaths.

I''m thinking third times a charm. Poor Tilly.

 

[rainwood]

I feel sorry for the trainer and her family, but I wish that Sea World and any other group who train and exhibit orcas (they actually aren''t whales) would stop. In the wild, they live in big family pods and swim thousands of miles a year. It''s magnificent to see them in their natural habitat, best done by being lucky to be in the right place at the right time, not through those whale watch boats that follow and circle them and stress them out. We see one of the pods in Puget Sound sometimes, and it''s amazing to watch them together. Forcing them to be alone in small pools and performing tricks is true animal cruelty.

 

[lulu]

It''s animal cruelty. If I could free all these animals I would. Meanwhile I just keep giving money to PETA.

 

[CJ2008]

Date: 2/24/2010 7:16:26 PM
Author: rainwood
I feel sorry for the trainer and her family, but I wish that Sea World and any other group who train and exhibit orcas (they actually aren''t whales) would stop. In the wild, they live in big family pods and swim thousands of miles a year. It''s magnificent to see them in their natural habitat, best done by being lucky to be in the right place at the right time, not through those whale watch boats that follow and circle them and stress them out. We see one of the pods in Puget Sound sometimes, and it''s amazing to watch them together. Forcing them to be alone in small pools and performing tricks is true animal cruelty.

Yes, it is...

I can''t say I''ve never enjoyed the shows, it''s so awesome to see them. But the older I get, the more I realize, animals should be left alone, to do what they do, in their own habitat.