SeaWorld is still thinking about what to do with its most prized animal. The killer whale in question named Tilikum has been taking swimming turns at the public viewing gallery in Orlando even though this isn’t the first time the 12,000lb orca has been tied to a death. “Tilikum’s owners say euthanasia is out of the question. SeaWorld is more heavily invested in orcas than anyone else, owning 26 killer whales. That is more than half the 42 held in captivity around the world, according to the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society. Orcas are the headline acts at SeaWorld parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio, drawing a combined 12.2 million visitors annually. Tilikum is about twice as big as SeaWorld’s other performing orcas and has sired 13 calves, more than half the number of killer whales born at its parks. Such breeding has become increasingly critical in recent decades as the number of orcas taken from the wild dwindles amid public opposition. Industry watchers estimate a killer whale could fetch as much as $10 million on the open market—if there were any for sale. They say it also takes several years to prepare an orca for live performances, which in some cases include trainers riding atop the mammals.”
via [WSJ]
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