Seeing is Believing: Tilikum’s Lonely Life after Dawn.
Since the death of animal trainer, Dawn Brancheau, at SeaWorld Orlando in February, the marine mammal park’s officials have maintained that Tilikum, the killer whale involved in her death, continues to live a rather stimulating life. From the SeaWorld Parks Blog: “Tilikum’s day continues to be filled with variety and stimulation, including time with other whales, participating in training, husbandry, exercise and playtime sessions and the opportunity to breed.”Many have questioned if SeaWorld is indeed providing quality “care” for Tilikum (aka, Tilly or Tili) and if he continues to lead an enriching life in captivity as new rules were imposed which limits his interaction with trainers and the other orcas. There has been deep concern for how his reported isolation may affect the well-being of this intelligent, social animal. After two full days observing Tilly and his caretakers, one woman tells her story of what she saw. Is SeaWorld living up to its claims?
On February 24th, 2010 – at SeaWorld in Orlando Florida, a captive Orca (Killer Whale) named, Tilikum, brutally killed his longtime trainer, Dawn Brancheau. Ever since that fateful day the question keeps coming up; what will SeaWorld do to enrich this orca’s life and make his time there meaningful and worthwhile?
Orcas are held captive at facilities in North and South America, Europe and Japan, providing entertainment for theme park visitors. Currently there are 42 in captivity worldwide. SeaWorld and its chain of marine mammal parks in the United States is the largest owner of captive orcas in the world. In fact, they own more than half. Currently they have an inventory of 19 Killer Whales who are dispersed and or moved around between parks in Orlando, FL, San Antonio, TX, (6) and San Diego, CA (6). At this time, 7 of them are housed at SeaWorld in Orlando. SeaWorld also has 4 Killer whales ”on loan” to Loro Parque in Tenerife, as well a new baby, bringing the total to 24 that SeaWorld owns world-wide.
Tilikum is the largest male orca on record in captivity weighing in at 12,500 pounds (5,600 KG) and reaching a little over 22 feet in length (6.9 Meters). He was captured near Iceland in November of 1983 at about two years of age and sent to live at Sealand of the Pacific in B.C., Canada. He was obtained by SeaWorld and moved to Orlando to become their prize stud in January of 1992 after he killed a female trainer who fell in the water in 1991. In 1999, Tilikum was involved in the death of a man who stayed in the park after hours and was found dead in the pool the next morning. This latest incident with killing his longtime trainer, Dawn Brancheau, brings Tilikum to a total of 3 deaths which are linked to him.
*As a sidenote; there have never been any recorded deaths of humans by Killer Whales in the wild to this day.
Since the brutal and untimely death of Dawn Brancheau, SeaWorld has kept Tilikum out of the show “Believe” where he was the star of the “Splash” segment. One of his primary jobs at SeaWorld is (was) to come out towards the end of the show and spray the first 15 rows with water as he circled the pool. His other job there is to provide semen through mating or Artificial Insemination (AI) for the breeding program that continues today.
For the past 6 months (now 11), while SeaWorld conducts their own internal review, they have completely kept him from doing his segment in Believe. Considering OSHA handed down their report along with citations of “willful” negligence to the safety of their trainers on August 24th, it begs the questions: what does he do with his time? Why does SeaWorld hold on to him verses retiring him to a sea pen? What are they planning on doing with him in the future? And now that trainers are not allowed to come into contact with him, even at the water’s edge without a barrier, what does he do for stimulation? There are so many questions, so I went to see for myself what his days are like. (It should be noted that since this story was written in September, I have gone back to see Tilikum regularily. His condition and ‘lifestyle’ has not changed. As of January 20th – Tilikum has been kept in isolation for 330 days, and counting.) Read on.
When we arrived the first thing in the morning on day 1, Tilikum was alone in the back pool (E pool) which has a covered awning. The 6 other whales were spread out between the two front pools (B and C). When the gates are opened, they are able to continue on into the F pool and proceed directly into the Dining with Shamu pool (G pool). This area has 3 underwater viewing windows in which guests of the park can view them when they swim by.
SeaWorld in Orlando has 7 pools in all, A – G. The section where “Believe” takes place is referred to as the “A” pool. D pool is a medical pool with a false bottom. Kalina ( who died suddenly and unexpectedly on Oct 4), Kayla, Trua, Katina – (who gavebirth on Oct 9, 2010 ), Malia and Nalani (two small females) were relatively free to move around the Dine with Shamu pool and back into the F, C and B pools. Tilikum, however, was kept gated in E pool by himself. Yet, the workers I spoke with say they are all (including Tilikum) moved around throughout the day and are free to come and go as they please. This is simply not true. Tilikum was never able to come and go as he pleased.
Under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA) separation is prohibited per 9CFR, section 3.109 – Separation.
Marine mammals, whenever known to be primarily social in the wild, must be housed in their primary enclosure with at least one compatible animal of the same or biologically related species, except when the attending veterinarian, in consultation with the husbandry/training staff, determines that such housing is not in the best interest of the marine mammal’s health or well-being. However, marine mammals that are not compatible must not be housed in the same enclosure. Marine mammals must not be housed near other animals that cause them unreasonable stress or discomfort or interfere with their good health. Animals housed separately must have a written plan, approved by the attending veterinarian, developed in consultation with the husbandry/training staff, that includes the justification for the length of time the animal will be kept separated or isolated, information on the type and frequency of enrichment and interaction, if appropriate, and provisions for periodic review of the plan by the attending veterinarian. Marine mammals that are separated for nonmedical purposes must be held in facilities that meet minimum space requirements as outlined in §3.104.
When the workers at the window told me (no less than 6 of them I spoke with) that they keep him away from the females at times because, “You know how frisky males can be.” I answered with, “Well then why not use birth control?” They said that, in SeaWorld’s opinion, it may mess with their brains.” These are answers that all of the workers at the DWS windows are telling people. I found it baffling because birth control is something that SeaWorld has absolutely used with their orcas in the past.
Tilikum showing his teeth in the viewing window
We watched the first show on day 1 which starts at 12:30 pm. They open the stadium approximately 45 minutes before the show. Trainers came by at noon to hose Tilikum down for about 3 minutes and after that gave him some fish. They then rinsed out his mouth which is a necessary part of his daily routine because most of his teeth have been > manually drilled and are all but gone. <(See link.) The trainers spent no more than 7 minutes total with Tilikum before getting ready for the show to begin.
Tilikum swam in slow circles or surface rested in the E pool and did so the entire show. At the time when the others were out having fun interacting with their trainers, he’s secluded off as though he is some outcast, and, without so much as a toy to play with. In the afternoon on the first day, the trainers brought a few of the whales to the F pool to have a training session. Tilikum was still alone in the E pool.
When waiting in the stands for the second show of day 1 to begin and watching Tilikum, I saw him being moved from the E pool to the Dining with Shamu pool (at 6 pm) and quickly left the show and went straight over to see him up close through the viewing windows. When he arrived to the pool he was given some minnow sized fish and, lucky for him, one of them had landed on the bottom. He came up to the window (showed his mouth – photo above) and then went down and picked up the little fish and swam around the tank in a circle with it in the tip of his mouth. It was as though it was his little toy and amusement for the time. After 30 minutes, it finally fell apart, he lost interest, and let it go. We stayed there until closing at 7:10 pm.
Coming back early the next morning and seeing Tilikum in the same pool all by himself was quite startling. He was simply logging (bobbing) listlessly and did so for nearly 3 and a half hours. He has nothing else to do but bob in the water. Here at the Dining with Shamu pool viewing window, there are employees who are stationed in one hour intervals in order to answer guest questions. When I asked the workers, “Why doesn’t he have any toys or something to play with?” - all four of them gave similar answers, such as: “We don’t want him to get bored with a certain toy so we change it up now and then.” Or, “For enrichment purposes they don’t want him to get too used to playing with the same things so they change his ‘routine’ often.” Shocking and disturbing answer.
When I told the workers as I watched him “napping” for over 3 hours that this type of behavior isn’t typical in the wild, they argued that it was. I said, “Not really because, orcas don’t normally sleep by themselves. In the wild they get close to their pod mates (Mom, Dad, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins), synchronize their breathing, keep moving, and still dive – unlike Tilikum here who is vertical and bobbing in the water.” The answer they gave to this was attributed to the fact that he is an Icelandic “transient”, therefore implying that transients are drifters and spend time alone. Of course I said, “That is not true, transient means they typically feed off other mammals such as seals and dolphins versus “residents” who are fish eaters.” Another point is – no one knows for sure if Tilikum was a transient or a resident when he was captured. Either way – both transient and residents stay together in matriarchal pods and have close family bonds for life. In fact, if he had never been captured from the wild, he’d be swimming next to his Mom at this very moment. Something that Tilikum doesn’t have in this artificial setting at SeaWorld – a family pod. Sadly, it is quite clear he is kept completely alone, something that would never happen in the wild.
Again, the thing that really bothered me was the fact that Tilikum did not have one toy in his pool – and since he is kept there alone – it would have been nice to see him at least playing with something. That said, I did not sleep over night in the park but, at a time when SeaWorld is under a microscope due to the penalties handed down recently by OSHA, you would think that during the day when the trainers are there and people (guests) are watching – they would do something more with and for him. I stayed at the pool and watched him from the first thing in the morning, until closing time. He did not have one toy, therefore, barely moved.
Tilikum unprotected from the blazing Florida sun
Also, in the morning of day 2 - (where he wound up staying by himself again until 6 pm when they moved him back to the E pool) – it is clear SeaWorld is also in violation of another AWA regulation about leaving a marine mammal under the elements without a shaded area for him to hide under in order to protect himself from the blazing Florida sunshine. E pool has a covered awning to protect the whales – Dining with Shamu pool, does not. He was there under the sun for no less than 10 hours.
AWA regulations state under 9CFR Section 3.103 (b). Facilities, outdoor. Shelter.
Natural or artificial shelter which is appropriate for the species concerned, when the local climatic conditions are taken into consideration, shall be provided for all marine mammals kept outdoors to afford them protection from the weather or from direct sunlight.
It also should be noted that Tilikum’s security guards are afforded shade in the form of an umbrella or covered awning.
As a person who has been monitoring the SeaWorld Orlando fan page of FaceBook over the past 6 months, what you are being told is happening with him by SeaWorld, and what is actually happening are two very different stories. When you ask SeaWorld, “What are you doing with Tilikum and what are his days like?”, they give you the same answer. “He is still interacting and socializing continually with the other whales, he gets just as much interaction, play, stimulation from the trainers and is doing very well.” – then they post this blog for reference. http://www.seaworldparksblog.com/explore/blog/update-tilikum
Here it says that “Tilikum is no exception”, however, he is an exception. He is now linked to 3 deaths and clearly has issues with a couple of the other females as they are dominant over him, don’t blend well socially, so therefore, they are separated. Taima – Tilikum’s old mate who in June of 2010 died due to complications while trying to give birth for the 4th time in her short 20 years of life – was Tilikum’s “best friend”. The two were often together and now that she is gone, he is utterly alone.
As an aside, MMIRs obtained from NMFS FOIA state that Taima died from Uterine Prolapse. Prolapse is caused by a stretching of the ligaments that support the pelvic organs, causing those organs to stretch and ‘drop down’. And that is caused by her being breed far too young and far too often. It took her nearly 24 hours of labor before she finally died. It must have been a horrible and painful for her. Moreover, they couldn’t do anything and, in fact, didn’t know what to do (obviously), which simply reinforces the point that they should not be breeding whales in captivity.
Trua (a male orca) and Tilikum are friendly, however, in the 2 days I watched them – they were not put together one time. In fact, Tilikum was alone from 9 am on the morning when we arrived, until 7 pm the on the second day.
After viewing Tili for nearly 10 hours – two days in a row – I witnessed him in total isolation from the others over the course of those 20 hours. The others were allowed to mingle with each other, however, Tilikum was not given that opportunity on those two days. Now, again, I did not sleep overnight at the park but, Tilikum arrived from the E pool to the Dining with Shamu pool on day 1 at 6 pm sharp. He was still there at 9:00 am the next morning on day 2. Did they put a companion in with him at 7:30 pm – and take them out before 9:00 am? He was in a slumber when we arrived on day 2 so, I highly doubt it.
One cannot help but wonder – as sentient, intelligent, and aware these great beings are - how does Tilikum feel these days? He is definitely not appearing to be enjoying his time whatsoever. He barely moved from 9 am in the morning on day 2, and simply rested all day long until it came time to be fed. Once at 1 pm, 3 pm and 6 pm when they came with a bucket of ice and a few fish in order to lure him to go through the gate back to E pool.
Tilikum continually peers through the gate to look at the others
If he wasn’t sitting completely still, he moved 20 or 30 feet to go back and forth to the gate to peer over at the other whales having a training session. At one point during the end of the first Believe show on day 2, he went to the gate of the Dining with Shamu pool and tried nibbling on it as though he wanted out. He surely hears the activity going on. Even I could hear the show and my primary sense is not acoustic as his is.
He has to wonder — why? Why is he secluded, basically ignored and given no outer stimulation from an inanimate object such as a big ball or giant frisbee? Where did Taima go? And why can’t I be in the show? It’s heart-breaking really. Any sentient being would go out of their mind in such a situation. If they thought that Tilikum was dangerous towards humans or on the receiving end of aggressive behavior by the other orcas in this false pod situation before; what will happen to this poor soul if they continue to keep him separated, isolated, ignored, neglected and without the constant stimulation he deserves?
What I saw was totally unexpected. To be perfectly honest, I really thought he would have been with at least one of the other whales, interacted more with the trainers, and least of all, be active of his own volition throughout the day. He was none of these things. The word that kept coming to my mind and out of my mouth as I sat there watching him without pause was — “pathetic”.
I truly hope that SeaWorld will do the right thing and start looking into donating him to a foundation that is ready, willing and able to give him a better life such as one in a coastal sea pen. He could surely learn how to feed on his own once again, and even if he does not, there are caring human beings who would be more than happy to take care of his needs for the rest of his days. To think that he has the potential to live for a few more decades, it would be a tragic waste of a beautiful life if he continues to languish in such mundane conditions. Here is a small video by Dr. Naomi Rose of the HSUS. The loneliest whale in the world, Tilikum.
It is time to retire this beauty and get him in a setting that nature intended.
~ By Colleen Gorman
As a sidenote: Since this was written, I have been back to the park on a regular basis to see Tilikum. He is still isolated and not much has changed in this poor soul’s life. They do not introduce him or even refer to him at the beginning of the Believe show as they do with the 6 others (including the new baby which arrived in October). By keeping the pressure on SeaWorld and the awareness on Tilikum, we hope that they will have the heart to start treating him like part of the family versus the black sheep.
To view more photos go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2057428&id=1175597100&l=4c41576fef
To view more videos go to my YouTube channel @ http://www.youtube.com/user/CgColleenGorman?feature=mhum
*To report violation of Animal Welfare Act:
USDA/APHIS/LPA
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Room 1147 South Building
Washington, DC 20250
E-mail: webmaster@aphis.usda.gov
Phone: (202) 720-2511
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- Voir C'est Croire : la vie isolée de Tilikum après le décès de Dawn Brancheau
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I was at Sea World November 27 2010 and witnessed the same thing. Tilikum was alone at all times. He was separated from the other whales during the show and when the show was over Sea World separated him again. The trainers were working with him a bit after the second show. It appeared as though they were giving him signals to splash because he was pushing water out of the tank with his fluke. Trainers were standing far away from the edge. I felt so sorry for him. He came to the glass at the viewing tank and I made eye contact with him for a few seconds. I am not sure how to describe what I felt and saw, but it was a bit scary. I expected to see sadness, but what I got was a cold hard angry glare. I left Sea World so upset that day. The dolphins were crazy at the feeding pen. We had to move away from the wall several times because three dolphins continued to fight for food. They looked like they were going to come out of the pool. The staff would yell at us to back away and wait for the dolphins to calm down. Tilikum’s spirit was gone and for what. Very sad day at the park.
Oh Gosh, Shawna…I just saw your comment here. I was also there on the 26th and 28th of November. Your connection with Tilikum truly brought tears to my eyes. I get the same feeling when I see him. Earlier on – back in August and September – it was more a state of a drug enduced ‘coma’ like state for him. But he was oozing despair and utter confusion.
I agree with you – he’s frustrated as hell right now and indeed, very angry. People will call some of us nuts for saying we can actually see and FEEL what these (or any other animal) is thinking but there is such a thing as having a gift to communicate with animals. You have it, Shawna. So sorry you had to witness Tilikum like that. He’s calling out to you and others like us for ‘help’.
I know I will never go away or stop trying to raise awarness for this poor soul. He is a very big and key messenger in this entire fight to liberate these great beings.
Feel free to contact me through FaceBook if you ever want to chat.
Much love to you – and to Tilikum.
Colleen
I don’t know what background either of you guys have to relate to an orca’s emotion, but come on. While I agree that animals should not be kept in captivity for our pleasure, let’s not get too carried away. I thinks it takes aways the seriousness of the problem at hand and dilutes the underlying message. Half the time, humans can’t read other humans emotions and yet, both of you guys are trying to convience readers that you saw emotions in a totally unrelated mammal who don’t have the same abilities as humans to show facial expressions! If you want to help, join the movement to have these animals released because it’s wrong!
I have a few questions for you. You state, “Taima – Tilikum’s old mate who in June of 2010 died due to complications while trying to give birth for the 4th time in her short 20 years of life – was Tilikum’s ‘best friend’”. You also inform us that, “he went to the gate of the Dining with Shamu pool and tried nibbling on it as though he wanted out.” Since you have such a strong relationship with Tili did he tell you these things? Did he tell you that Taima was his best friend? These are animals who cannot communicate to humans through language. Therefore these “facts” that you are stating are in fact you opinion and what you THINK that he is thinking/feeling. You also seem to be extremely upset that Tili doesn’t have any toys while he is in what you call the Dine with Shamu pool. Now, I have only been to SeaWorld a few times but if you take a look at the background of your picture labeled “Tilikum unprotected from the blazing Florida sun,” it looks like that rock behind him is a barrier between him and the underwater viewing area. Do you think it’s possible he cannot have toys in that pool because the 12,000 pound animal could toss the toys over that ledge where it could possibly hit innocent guests? You also comment on Tili getting minnow sized fish. Do you know how big a minnow is? Minnows can be as small as 4cm long. How on earth do you think Tili got to be as big as 12,000 pounds eating minnows? I think if you are going to write articles criticizing anyone you should lead more with facts than your emotions.
Do you listen to yourself before you talk? You sound so hateful. Colleen is expressing her opinion and by saying ”he went to the gate of the Dining with Shamu pool and tried nibbling on it as though he wanted out.” do you notice the ”as though” it is her opinion that’s what she feels like he is showing with his behavior.
Let’s say that you were put into some isolated facility, taken from your family and put into small enclosures, wouldn’t you try to make yourself friends? Orcas are intelligent and I would imagine they at least try to communicate with other orcas even if they don’t know their dialect. Could compare it to you talking with a chinese person, you don’t know his language but you try communicating because it is the way we ‘work’, that is what intelligent species do when they interact with others of their kin.
And about Tilikums size, one would get fat even if eating peas when one doesn’t get the amount of exercise they need.
Orcas don’t belong in captivity and in my opinion there’s nothing wrong if Colleen gets her emotions involved, she’s trying hard to raise awareness about the conditions of captive orcas and still some people piss on these majestic cetaceans by their decisions and by their behavior. She has opened up many peoples eyes about the truth behind orca captivity I do not doubt, she does good job. And if you can’t find enough facts for you from this page then you should probably pay more heed to it.
I’m not trying to speak for Colleen, she can do it for sure.
But just the way you wrote, to me it just sounds so disrespectful.
You should write articles using Facts not Emotions? True, facts are important guides, but emotions…feeling them, trusting them, following them…are what leads us to real truth. How you could even begin to stand up for Sea World after reading those articles is a mystery to me! You are a cold hearted (?)person(?).
Why are you reading this, u sound very hateful and just like u want to contradict everything this person is saying, go somewhere else and say it!
Tiina… you need to go somewhere else.. a pro seapuke page where people think it is ok to cage wild animals for human entertainment… NONE of it is natural…. NONE of it is the truth!!! You want to talk about facts and truth you need to look at seapuke and the lies they tell just to get your CASH and you fall for it…. lol ….. who is the stupid one now???
eh, excuse me?
Did you reply on the wrong person’s comment perhaps?
Tiina.. Sorry my comment was for D…..
It’s okey, it happens.
Wow Shawna!!
That should really tell places like Seaworld something!!
This poor animal along with any others should NEVER have been held captive for the purpose of mere entertainment, the only reason that any animal should ever be held captive is for breeding purposes to prevent extinction.
Sadly I doubt that Tilikum and the others will cope or survive in the wild now, it would take a lot of rehabilitation and human intervention (as if they haven’t had enough of that) before they could ever be released back into the wild, alternatively they can take those animals to a sanctuary with a much bigger swimming space than what they have now.
Tilikum should not be in a tank he should be in a sea pen where he belongs in the sea. he may not have a kind attitude like keiko but they are exactly the same and one day sea world will see that and let him be the wild animal he is. sea world doesn’t pay any attention to Tilikum they only use him for shows and breeding they don’t give him toys never ever pay him any attention so i don’t blame him one little bit I BLAME SEA WORLD
I was at SeaWorld this summer and for the first time I got the chance to go see Tilikum in the viewing area and it was possibly the saddest thing I have EVER seen in my life. I was there for a good hour or so just watching him and it really did upset me, he just bobbed about for the first half hour or so then he spotted something at the bottom of the pool, a rock, he played with that rock for a good half hour, dropping it then catching it again and again. He really needs more stimulation! Its sad seeing such a magnificent creature in a pen like that. He needs to be moved to a coastal pen asap. If you wish for pictures of him playing with the rock I’m willing to send them to you.
Gavin,
I hope you send those pictures online so people can see why this animals did what he did. He wanted to PLAY and have company, not do tricks for dead fish. Ignoring his needs is dangerous and will breed contempt in any animal for those responsible. I hope you will post those pictures you have so people will see what he needs and what makes him happy. People need to stand up for his right to return to the wild or to be humanely and intelligently penned in the sea to enjoy his remaining years like he should.
I feel so bad for Tili ! It seems like after he accidentally killed Dawn there punishing him. Shame on you Sea World . Take better care of him.
I’m wondering if there is any news on how Tili is doing? I try to keep on how the lives of Orcas in captivity and haven’t noticed about this poor guy.
to you Jennifer: he didn´t ”accidentally” kill her. It was deliberate. And think about it … 3 times, come on, orcas aren´t stupid.
Want to help orcas and dolphins, captive and wild ones? Stop paying for these greedy f***s and don´t visit these Aquariums! Ever! Because its that money that you spend on seeing them in captivity is what causes them to get there in the first place. Watch a documentary called ‘The Cove’ and you´ll see the bloody truth behind this business. If you wanna see orcas go see them in the wild where they belong.
To Shawna : You should be feeling guilty if you really looked into his eyes, you people that pay to go there are the reason these parks still exist.
If a rhino is killed in Africa, the one’s who pull the trigger are not to blame. The people who pay them for pulling the trigger to get the ivory, they’re who is to blame.
Think reasonably. Don´t pay for death and misery. There’s enough of it in the world without paying to make it happen.
Those who pull the trigger AND those who pay for the ivory are BOTH to blame. True, SEA WORLD needs to be boycotted, but you need to stop telling caring people that they should feel guilty. People who do care need to stick together and let Sea World KNOW!
Agreed Chantelle. But unfortunately Sea World has so many paying customers which gives them a fortune they don’t seem to care about anything else besides money. ;(
If you have been to SeaWorld and were unhappy with what you saw, please please make a complaint to SeaWorld. The only way we are going to set Tillikum free is if their customers are unhappy with what is happening. Please send them an email or a letter and let them know how you feel. They’ll listen to their customers because hitting them in their pocket is all that matters to them.
Hi Rachel,
You see, I was unhappy with SeaWorld long before I went here to check in on him; see how he is doing, what his days are like, and how he is being treated. I have complained to SeaWorld about Tilikum many times before even going here back in August/Sept. This was more an intel mission than a fan going to see the whales.
To be honest, sending emails or letters to SeaWorld is akin to spitting in the wind, as I have seen first hand, they just shoot off letters saying, “Tilikum is still treating like part of the family, he is busy doing sessions, etc.” Same thing they always say which is posted in the story above.
Putting pressure on APHIS to enforce the violations set by AWA standards, in regard to his housing situation, is something I/we’ve been doing for pretty close to a year now, and sadly that has done nothing to help him.
Ever since this story was written, I have been back to SeaWorld on a regular basis to keep proving that these two days weren’t just a fluke. I’m not happy to report, it is the same story over and over again for Tilikum. He’s continually isolated and is never given so much as a toy to play with when he’s alone.
Unfortunately, the truth is, they could not care less about a few hundred or even several thousand fans saying, “We’ll never come here again.” They make far too much revenue (Billions) from non Florida residents and foreign visitors that flood the parks on vacation every year. And a huge amount of their money making comes from visitors from the UK.
All in all, SeaWorld has made it clear (to me) that they don’t want this sort of observation of Tilikum to take place by their ‘customers’. In fact, back in November, on one of my intel visits, while watching him through the Dine with Shamu gate, (after having that ‘sense of being stared at’ feeling that I always have there) a “SeaWorld Investigator’ approached me, put a badge in my face and asked me who I was, and told me to “move on” or get thrown out of the park. Under what grounds, and for what reason? Because they do not want people out here to know the truth about his real situation.
The very next day, they put up a black tarp so that I, or anyone else, was not able to view him from this vantage point. This simply goes to show how much they have to hide. It bothers them that people are starting to wonder more and more about his day to day living and are posting stories about it. And ever since then, they have followed me around the park, and sit there watch me watching the shows (i.e., watching Tilikum during the show). It’s very creepy.
Believe me, they have read this blog and know who I am at this point, which I was naive to at first. They surely would make confetti out of my additional letters and or complaints that Tilikum is being treated inhumanely, unfortunately. But, this won’t stop me from digging for the truth behind the scenes.
As an aside, between Tili and Lolita/Tokitae at Miami Seaquarium; they are the reason The Orca Project got started, and we intend to keep posting stories, investigations, interviews, research papers, etc., until this whole industry changes.
Colleen
You need to understand the programs and benefits that really lie behind Sea World!
There passion to protect the worlds animals and practice conservation by educating is inspiring and I think we should all open our eyes and see that. I loved Dawn and Tilly is my baby. But being a part of Sea World staffs at camp this summer shows me the real Sea World behind the park walls and what they stand for, and I wish you all could see that. I love you Sea World!
I don’t understand why people think that SeaWorld is the only organisation doing conservation. There are millions of charities and volunteer groups rescuing stranded marine animals, rehabilitating them and returning them to the wild. There are millions of groups involved in conservation projects in the wild. If SeaWorld did all those things without catching and keeping marine animals in captivity, there wouldn’t be a problem – but they don’t. They do those things to green wash their money making enterprise.
If you really care about conservation, support the charities and the volunteers who do amazing conservation work without making any profit and without keeping animals in tanks, teaching them tricks and making those animals work to earn their keep.
Tilly doesn’t want you to love him. Like any individual, he wants to be with his real family and he wants his freedom.
I’m sorry, but you can tell from what the staff at Sea World are quoted as saying in this article that they know very little about the true behaviour of orca. They are blinded by the job they do, and if you think seeing an animal in a tank performing tricks is ‘education’ then I feel incredibly sorry for you. If they really wanted to protect these animals they would never support the capture of any more from the wild, and would end their breeding program so no more of these creatures have to live this kind of life.
Thank you Colleen. So besides boycotting, what else can the public do that WILL get SW’s attention. What can we do for Tili?
Imagine being ripped from your family, torn from the only world you knew and the family you loved, at the age of two, and then subjected to a life in captivity. It must have been frightening. Like an abducted child, stolen from his parent.
Then, as frustration grows and hormones surge, you find that you have no other mechanism to express your feelings of desperation and anger then to lash out. It frightens you and it frightens us. And amidst the rage, three human lives are lost.
However, your life, Tilly, was lost a long time ago. But now, you are punished with isolation. A solitary confinement that even drives hardened criminals insane. You are an animal. An animal, like us, that deserves to be free. Free to play, free to hunt, free to swim and free to love.
Your life will not be in vain, dear Tilly, as there are many of us out here, who will fight on your behalf, as what is happening to you is a very cruel sentence for an animal that society truly began punishing years ago.
I have wanted to work with Killer Whales since I was 2, and I live 30min from Sea World Orlando, so the park news has always impacted my life. I go to Sea World Camp there every summer to learn about the animals and training techniques and how to be a trainer and if there is one thing they preach is there training methods. Sea World practices positive reinforcement, meaning that they only pay attention to the positive behaviors and ignore the negitive. They push this into all of our minds! When you punish, it’s drawing attention to the negetive behaviors. Orca’s are smart, they know that certain behaviors get attention. I’m willing to bet my life that Sea World trainers are not purposly “isolating or punishing” Tilly! If you lived at the park and worked hands on with the trainers and animals like we do, you would see how passionate the trainers are for there animals. It’s not a job or a chore, It’s there love. You dont devote so much, and take so much risk without love! To say that they’re hurting Tilly is insane. Also with the saftey citations it is enabling them to take the proper actions they need. Sea World’s mission is NOT to make money and entertain. All you guys see is the fantastic shows and the cute little critters, but I bet none of you have seem what lies behind those walls in the ‘Key West’ exhibet; a HUGE conservation center. They spend an entire day showing us the rescue and rehabilitation. After the oil spill Sea World was on the clock nonstop. You guys are so critical and you don’t realize all Sea World does! They save hundreds of birds, rescue and rebab a ton of turtles and manatees and help any animals they can. Sea World isn’t like any aquarium, they are more. They care about the world and try to save it! I hate when people slam Sea World. Sea World does not support the cove dolphin killings in Taiji Japan, they breed. The quality of food and care is excellent. The fish is the same they feed to the guest! And I KNOW that if Sea World wasn’t here, half of you wouldn’t even care about the animals your passionate about. Sea World gives people the oppertunity to learn about the animals around them. When you know more about an animal, you become passionate and the more likely you are to practice conservation for the animals. I could go on for hours and hours about how benificial Sea Worlds programs are!
I support Sea World, and everything they stand for. I have seen first hand so many of there programs and the benifits they reap on this world we all work so hard to protect! I love Tilly, I loved Dawn, I love all the trainers, I love all the programs, I love all the animals, and I absolutely love Sea World.
Oh, and breeding is better in what way? To have the mothers carry their calves for so long only to have them die soon after they are born? Besides SeaWorld actually has permits that PROOF that IT HAS GOTTEN SOME OF ITS DOLPHINS FROM THE DOLPHIN DRIVE FISHERIES IN TAIJI OR FUTO IN JAPAN!
It’s very unfortunate that you grew a long side SeaWorld to guide your passion towards orcas. I’ve been passionate about dolphins since I was very young and from 5th grade I grew very fond of orcas. And I lived in a country where these animals are nowhere to be seen!! I think that I grew into my passion from what I learned from nature documentaries but not by the help of SeaWorld or any other marine life aquarium that confines these majestic creatures into such small tanks. If you had any sense in your head you’d realize that this is not where these animals belong, they belong in the wild. The tanks are too small for them, their life span is reduced, they don’t live healthily there. You’d realize all this if you actually read more rather than just listen to the lies that SeaWorld has fed to you ever since you were young. People don’t learn anything from SeaWorld that internet, television and documentaries don’t teach them. Or what do you learn from Tilikum for example having killed 3 people? There’s not a single case recorded where an orca would have killed a human being in the wild, you don’t learn that from the tragedies in SeaWorld now do you?
These aquariums don’t have any space in 21st century.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/candacewhiting/2011/02/13/seaworld-has-a-whale-of-a-debt-in-their-financial-tank/
I hope these places get shut down and these intelligent, beautiful mammals can live the way they should be living, out there in the ocean blue… Free.
Thanks for your passion Tiina. I get the impression it’s wasted on Cassie who, having lived so close and attended camps is obviously indoctrinated into the hype SW sells. Maybe she needs to become a trainer and witness what other trainers who have left and speak out have witnessed. Maybe in the future Cassie will be the voice that finally wakes the world and governments up and Sea World will close to the public and TRULY become a conservation and scientific park. One not intent on inbreeding and performance. I hope so anyway Follow your dream Cassie I’m sure when you experience whale agression towards each other and you..you will be as disillusioned and disheartened as we all are. Yes I can hope, as delusional as it is.
tilikum should be sent to a foundation where his needs will be met, in my heart I dont believe he killed Dawn B intentionally, and I am sure she would be heart broken if she saw what he is enuring now, he is a highly itelligent manal , and he is not going to live very long under these conditions, this is ABUSE to me , ignoring his mental needs are very important, surley not all the trainers are ignoring him?? what a horribel why to live out the rest of his life, sisnt there a place we can start siging petitions to try to end this sitituation?????
Lynette I agree with you. I would imagine Dawn being very upset knowing how Tilikum is right now, and I’m sure this is nothing that she would want happening if she was still alive. But sad to say but he did kill her on purpose, a fact that many people don’t know or don’t want to believe in.
The trainers are not allowed to go close to his tank, except for when necessary and they are definitely not allowed to go into his tank, so even if they wanted to pay him attention I don’t think they could. But he should have some stimulation at least, something to play with in his tank, this is just sick (like I think all of this is). You can imagine how human being would become if they were put out in a small room without anything to do, nobody to communicate with and no space for exercising, anybody would go insane being in that kind of situation! This is just horrible!
You should check from google ”petition for Tilikum” there are quite a few to be found. But you should of course properly read what you sign before signing, it’s not as simple to free an animal that has been captive for so long as we would wish it to be. And many people don’t understand this.
It has been my dream to release killer whales back into their natural environment with their family. I could not imagine being taken away as a 2 year old and shoved in a jail based system with no one i knew and having to preform.
I would love to raise money with different groups of people, companies and organizations all over the world to help free this depressed animal.
Any advice on doing this would be great.
I notice many organizations donated money to release Kieko (The famous Free Willy) Maybe the same could happen again.
I’m sure Kieko’s sea pen is still in Iceland where Tilikum originated from.
“Do you think it’s possible he cannot have toys in that pool because the 12,000 pound animal could toss the toys over that ledge where it could possibly hit innocent guests?” No such thing as innocent guests…. anyone supporting $eaworld deserves a reminder these are not pets they are wild animals that should be left in the wild not as a TOY for humans to watch and play with and when done stick them in a tiny pool left alone until the next time to entertain the sick humans who somehow get a thrill watching stolen from the wild animals doing stupid tricks for stupid humans!!
The person above me are you serious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@Sam….. Very!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well, something must have been going on with him all this time. Apparently he was brought back to the show today and performed as if nothing had happened.
Why was Tili taken with 2 other females from the wild in the first place? While there is a 1% doubt in me that the reason being was an initially rescue; rehabilitate and release to natural environment effort, 99% of my first question is rhetorical.
No matter how well wild animals held in captivity are cared for (and I’m sure that the industries take “acceptable” measure and resources to house wild animals to what they perceive as acceptable and healthy environments for wild animals) being placed in artificial environments is abnormal and stressful. Acceptable in inverted commas to emphasise to who is it supposed to be acceptable and how do you measure this acceptability??? You cannot correctly measure this acceptability.
These creatures and other animals whether bred in captivity or not, by nature are meant to roam our earths vast oceans/land/air. Should it be the case of financial gain, these animals have been sentenced without reasonable cause to imprisonment without trial.
Knowledge is power and there are means to educate people without having to hold wild animals in captivity for viewing with a partial/full intention of education. Wild animal killing human incidents (in this orca case especially) are an outcry for us human beings to make a change and do things differently. The conservation parties need to play a bigger role than the good work they are already doing. There are solutions to every problem.
There are vast means to financial gain.
As human beings we wrong and we can also make right. How far must greed drive us???????
We must not sell our souls!
Seaworld should not have these wonderful animals in captivity!!! It’s no wonder they snap and attack their trainers. They should all be put back in the ocean where they belong. I think that poor Tilikum is being unfairly punished and it’s criminal and cruel. He should be able to have toys and be with the other whales!!!!
I guess I am one of the philistines who has been to San Diego Seaworld and enjoyed seeing mammals I’ve never seen before. I will be honest I loved watching the whales in the water but hated to see the trainers in the water with them. I had no idea what went on. I bought in to the hype that they are conducting real scientific research there. I don’t know what is right or wrong whether he shoud be released in to the wild or into a seapen. Maybe they should reduce the number of shows a day and have a set retirement age for them so that at some point they can phase the “performance” out completely and concentrate on the scientific research they purport to be doing. What I do know is that I wanted to take my 6year old niece to Sea World because I fear in the world we live in one day there will be none of these mammals left and at least she would have seen one, if not in its natural habitat. But now I won’t take her. I couldn’t bear it if she saw something horrible that scared her or saw a listless animal hating it’s existence. Too many species have become extinct and many more face that future now. It isn’t that long ago the last surviving Thylacine died making the marsupial extinct. Just so sad that we don’t look after the worlds creatures better.
I was at Sea World for a class overnight in 2004, well before the death of Dawn. At that time even, Tilikum was being housed alone overnight in the show pool. He was spy-hopping (holding his head above water) to look at one of the security guards. He was also vocalizing as being seperated from the rest of the whales was stressful. Even then, he was not being housed in a socially natural way, which had to have caused a lot of undue stress on him.
If you guys would like an update on Tilikum I’ll give you one. I visited SeaWorld twice just this past May and found him to be quite active and much more agile. He is not alone contrary to popular belief; he can often be seen performing with his grandson Trua (which I have photos to prove) and recently with both Trua and his daughter Malia (also photos to prove). The two youngsters are often kept with him in the back tanks in between shows to keep him occupied. As for a lack of shade? There is no shade in the Dine with Shamu Tank, but the medical tank connected to the DWS tank connects to the shaded pool which he has access to nearly 24/7.
Tilikum is not isolated nor is he ignored, SeaWorld is doing everything in their power to keep him healthy and mentally stable without breaking the dumb restrictions OSHA’s laid upon them.
I would also like to add that whoever it was that stated SW has obtained dolphins from the Japanese drive hunt is dead wrong. The MMIR (Marine Mammal Inventory Report for those of you who don’t know) lists absoultely ZERO Japanese obtained Dolphins under their care. It’s also been stated that the NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) can also back up this claim. SeaWorld hasnt captured an orca in nearly 30 years, and a dolphin in roughly 20. Any animals obtained since then have either been stranding specimens deemed unsuitable for release, or transferred from other aquaria.
If you want proof, consult Ceta Base/Phinventory for proof.
OOOOOOOOOOOOkay Annonymous. We believe you. Not. Why is it you cannot even place your name with your words? That in itself is telling!
Why is it that you think OSHA’s restrictions are dumb? Because they set out rules to protect these animals that are in as unnatural environment as any captive animal possibly could be? Their tanks are way too small and the environment… loads of people, lots of noise… In the wild they spend most of their time below surface and in these pools they’re forced to perform many times a day on the surface. In the wild they can choose to interact with people, in captivity they can’t.
And yes, I admit my comments about Taiji were written after strong emotional struggle after seeing what’s going on in Taiji. And given the expression by Ric O’Barry that these dolphins go all around the world, which they don’t, I felt extremely angry that people would support these slaughters. But anyway, there are dozens of other marine mammal parks that do hold and still buy dolphins that have been captured in Taiji. Do those dolphins and whales captured and slaughtered there mean any less because they are not on U.S ground?
And MMI ”lists absolutely ZERO Japanese obtained Dolphins under their care” because the database only shows ‘origin’ as ”wild capture”. That doesn’t tell you anything from where they have been captured. And I’ve been searching from the other sites and I can’t find much information from those either.
But it could be that it’s just me sucking with the search engines
Something that confuses me. If they are still using Tili as their stud, how are they getting his sperm? Since from what I saw of the procedure it needs up close contact with the whale. No way they could masturbate him from 6feet. Dare I hope they have retired him from breeding?
Hi, I’m from the UK, I was recently in Canada watching these beautiful majestic intelligent animals in their natural habitat, as they cruised up and down the Johnstone Straits hunting Salmon I was so inspired! How anyone can keep such a amazing creature in a small “swimming pool” for entertainment is unbelievable! It’s cheap, and cruel! The only way to watch this animal should be in the wild! They should be ashamed of themselves keeping the poor Orca captive, isolated and surely very unhappy! It’s an absolute disgrace! And as human being we should know better!!! It’s time to do something about it! Dylan Lovelock UK.
Colleen,
Keep up the great work! You and others like you are what Tili and Toki need. They need a voice. A loud one at that! Please know that I would be more than wiling to help as I am able due to my location (not in Fla.) It brings me to tears when I think of their lives and how they have been made to spend it. Ripped apart from families that loved them. My passion for them and all captives runs deep.
Oh My I am sick! Let this poor whale go free..It is so sad..Of course they wouldn’t consider giving Tilli a friend or toys..He is just languishing in the SeaWorld life.If he is considered dangerous let him go free.Why did they continue to force him to perform after two deaths..Now three..Is he being punished for being a wild animal? Poor thing. Let him go..
Hey I was at SeaWorld November 28th 2010, and I didn’t see the cold hard angry glare in Tilly’s eyes.. I saw a happy twinkle. It looked like he was enjoying some well deserved time alone. I thing it was like a Calgon take me away moment. He was just radiating bright happiness and exuberance! I’m sure he just loves the 100 pounds+ of human food grade salmon / fish he gets catered to him a day. He was glowing because he doesn’t have to hunt down and find food every day… good thing.. he never misses a meal. And I could tell he was thrilled at the amazing vet care he has.. better that most health insurance Americans have. You people are brain dead.. how about the good things going on at SeaWorld? (http://www.swbg-conservationfund.org/) Maybe you people are right.. I need to make a free range pen for my Lab puppy.. I bet there is plenty of space out near the wolves in Yellowstone… yeah that will end well… just like it did for Keiko.
Why don’t you go troll a captive supporter page…. you are nothing but an ass wipe…. and I bet your dog was bought not a rescue!
Are you seriously trying to compare releasing Keiko back into the wild to putting a dog with wolves? Blatantly completely different situations, so what a ridiculous comparison to make. Yes, Keiko died young and his return to the sea did not work out perfectly, but you know most captive orca don’t live much longer than that, anyway, right? If you need any proof that captivity is not as good for them as you seem to think, just look at those statistics. A happy, content and well-looked after whale should not die at 30 when his wild relations can easily live to sixty and more. That alone is proof enough that captivity is bad.
I know if I were one of these whales I’d much rather be living a free, long life with my family and, gosh, having to hunt for food, than I would spend all my days swimming round a tank with ’100+ pounds of human food grade salmon’. That suggestion is liking saying to a human ‘well, we’ll feed you three square meals a day in a five star restaurant, but you’ll never be allowed to see your family again and you’ll probably only live half as long’. Does that sound like a good deal to you? ‘Cause it sure doesn’t to me.
I find it interesting you say he enjoys fish…..if I’m not mistaken, wasn’t Tilly captured from a transient pod? In the wild, only resident orcas eat fish while transients are the mammal eaters. I’m sure he would much prefer a seal over a fish. It’s also interesting to note that in the wild, transient and resident pods have been observed avoiding each other, they don’t socialize together, don’t hunt the same food, and don’t have the same social behaviors.
Orcas do not belong in captivity, period. End of story. For those of you who believe otherwise, take a moment to think and seriously contemplate why you think they belong in concrete tanks where they are forced to perform “tricks” versus the ocean where they can do whatever they want. If you are honest with yourself, it really boils down to what YOU want and that YOU want easier access to see them. Or YOU want to be a trainer so YOU can have up close experiences and encounters with these magnificent animals. But it really shouldn’t be about what YOU want, it should be whats best for the whales.
That photo of Tilikum looking through the bars of his pen trying to see all the other orcas left tears streaming down my face. Why on earth do humans let this happen? Seaworld makes me sick, as do the people who support this torture by paying to see it. Disgusting.
Tilikum is my favourite orca, I love him.
I find your page is very nice!
I have a orcapage, too but it is German.
I hope you will have more ideas for your wonderful page.
Bye Sebastian
This whole situation is just so sad
I feel really sorry for Tilikum & I would love to know what was going round his head after he killed Dawn. Do you guys reckon he was just playing or did he actually mean to kill her? Bless him, and Dawn.
I am from the UK & visited Florida last year for the 1st time. I know you disagree with SeaWorld but I did go there because we have nothing similar in the UK & orcas amaze me so much that I just had to see them. It left me feeling a bit confused to be honest……part of me was thinking “they wouldn’t perform if they didn’t want to…” but another part of me was constantly wondering..who ever thought ‘oh, lets put an orca in a tiny pool & make it perform!’?? It’s crazy, I just don’t get it, where did it all begin? If a human was to be kept in an environment against their will, this would be seen as going against their Human Rights, yeah? So what about the rights of these whales? It’s a really confusing system, and sad too.
Anyway, I’m really interested in the lives of these whales (particularly Tili) and enjoy reading your page. Thanks guys. xx
I’ve been following Tilli’s story for a while. I’m from Vancouver Island and I actually live about 10 minutes away from Oak Bay Marina, the former site of Sealand of the Pacific where Tilli was originally. I saw the show as a very small child but can’t even remember much except the very tiny pool they had seals in. Steve Huxter is now the head of the PAC at my son’s school and I’ve been very tempted to find him and ask him what he thinks of the recent events with Tilli.
I wasn’t at all surprised to hear that Tilli had killed someone else. I really hoped that SW would release after that but again, not surprised that they didn’t when he’s such a money making phenom for them.
Cassie, please take a moment to listen to yourself talk. “practice conservation by educating” It’s not conservation when they’re over-breeding them. It’s not conservation when they refuse to even give up dangerous and obviously unhappy whales to sea-pens where they could at least live out their days in peace. It’s not conservation when they do for-profit activities like the shows. A conservation organization does not make it’s animals perform for their keep or to keep the organization afloat. The PEOPLE do the work involved in that. Look up the Elephant Sanctuary in Tennessee, a TRUE conservation place. The elephants do NOT perform. They do NOT allow public in. They are NOT bred. Now compare that to Sea World. If the Elephant Sanctuary can survive without all the merchandise and making the elephants jump through hoops and perform, why can’t SW?
SW *could*, they just choose *not* to because there’s no profit in being a pure conservation organization. Most zoos are barely staying afloat and depend on donations. SW makes millions on its shows.
How are they educating? It’s not educational to see completely unnatural behaviors. If anything it’s the opposite because people go away from the shows thinking that it’s normal for orcas to do all those unnatural tricks and interact with people like that and — like you have — buy all the lines SW feeds them about how happy the whales are in tiny empty concrete pools, as though that’s normal (compared to the ocean environment). SW does not make attempts to keep orcas that get along together together. As soon as they need to shuffle for profit, they’ll tear apart whatever family or friend groups to get at the whale they need and move it far away. There’s documented proof of that. Just look at how many babies are removed from mothers because they decide the baby would be better off (aka more profitable) in a different park or show. They’ll stick new orcas together and act like they’re guaranteed to get along because hey, they’re both orcas, right? That’s basically akin to saying that a Japanese and a Chinese person could live together and get alone because they both look the same, even though they don’t speak the same language or have the same culture or come from the same area. Exact same idea.
If Sea World wasn’t interested in profit (as you say), they wouldn’t charge for shows. But they do. Hmm, why is that?
Just because trainers care, doesn’t mean that they’re right. Trainers are often very young people who honestly don’t have a clue. They like orcas and just want to be able to swim with them. They learn a few facts about them, fed from SW, and basically act like they know everything that ever was about orcas, when in fact they’re just 20, 21, 22 year old kids in a pool with a very large, unhappy predator that’s barely tolerating their presence.
Great, they do a little bit of conservation work which they support by the suffering of whales. Have you heard of PETA? You probably have. They’re about the same. They fund their ‘conservation’ and ‘animal rights’ work and all the same they gas thousands of animals they take in. But is that fine with you since they do manage a *tiny* bit of good by ‘educating’ the public about slaughterhouses, fur factories, etc?
anyone that doesn’t have a problem with these majestic mammals in what is basically a bathub doesn’t get it. Have you ever seen these animals in their natural habitiat? maybe then you might understand these animals have a soul and they need to be free.
Tilly did not kill Dawn, if you don’t think that he is suffering at the loss of his best friend think again seeing the two of them together you knew there was a connection and she was his only solace in the cruel world he lives in and now she is gone and he doesn’t understand why. Stop crucifying the whale for human’s mistreatment.
Never let another whale be added to the list of captive animals.
Free Tilly and Lolita!!! you negative people need to do some research find out what there whales are all about!!! then come back and talk!!!
Where and how is Tilly now?
Does anyone have any up to date info and pics, Tilly needs our help and support!
I am crushed to hear of the lies and neglect.
This precious soul deserves to be in a family he gas given them so many calves and they are torturing him with isolation.
Can he not be taken from them by government and placed with some that would care for him and socialize?
How can I help?
This is so heartbreaking, human beings are really vile and disgusting creatures. How can we have any news ? How can we make this story more public and help him ? This is a shame, something HAS to be done !!!!
This monster of an animal deserves nothing better then what he gets, he deserves less then what he gets.
At least this disgusting animal still has his life.