Ontario has just become the first province in Canada to make it illegal to buy, sell, or breed orcas. This revolutionary news means that future generations of orcas in this area won’t be stolen from their families and forced to live in concrete prisons!
The law is a huge step in the right direction and will protect many orcas from a lifetime of suffering in the future—but it doesn’t include Kiska, Canada’s only captive orca, who has been languishing in a tank for 37 years.
Estimated to be about 40 years old, Kiska is a lonely orca who was stolen from her family and home waters as a calf and is being held captive in solitary confinement at Marineland, where she reportedly spends her days floating listlessly and scratching parts of her body against the sides of her tank. For orcas who naturally live in large complex social groups, living in isolation can be torture.
Conditions of captivity can lead to irreversible tooth damage. Kiska’s teeth are severely worn.
Marineland also displays beluga whales, dolphins, sea lions, and walruses in cramped tanks. It’s estimated that more than 40 whales and dolphins have died at the theme park, and an investigation conducted by the Toronto Star detailed widespread reports of negligence, cruelty, and mass animal graves.
The best thing that you can do to help animals like Kiska is to refuse to visit Marineland, SeaWorld, or any other marine park, zoo, or aquarium that keeps animals in captivity.
Share this news with your friends and family, and urge them never to visit any marine park!
