A killer whale drowned an experienced trainer at SeaWorld Orlando's Shamu Stadium on Wednesday, grabbing her off a platform and pulling her underwater as horrified tourists watched. The trainer, Dawn Brancheau, 40, was one of a select few at the Florida theme park who were allowed to work with the whale, a 12,000-pound male named Tilikum who had already been involved in the deaths of two people. Was this tragedy part of the price for educating people about marine life — or does it prove that it's wrong to keep wild animals in captivity? (Watch an AP report about a worker's death at Seaworld Orlando)
It's wrong to use animals for entertainment: Sea World — and the tourists who go there — seem to think it's "perfectly acceptable" to yank these "beautiful creatures" out of their natural environment, says Catherine Robinson in Creative Loafing. It's not — confining killer whales in a "small tank, withholding food until they perform" is a recipe for disaster, and it's downright cruel. "I feel bad for the whale."
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