SeaWorld blamed the condition of Tilikum's teeth on his tenure at Sealand, a claim his former Sealand trainer Steve Huxton has denied. Thus it was not surprising to hear that he was dying from a strain of bacterial infection that was resistant to medication. Countless people have documented Tilikum lying motionless for hours at the surface of the water as his daily norm.
Orcas that live free are constantly moving, interacting and socializing. They are shells of what orcas should be. In captivity, he reached the age of just approximately 35, like so many whales before him. In the wild, he could have easily reached 50 or possibly even He forced us to question what we have done to these majestic animals. The time has come to end this outdated animal entertainment once and for all. John Hargrove, author of the New York Times bestselling memoir "Beneath the Surface: Killer Whales, SeaWorld, and the Truth Beyond Blackfish" March , and interviewee for the documentary "Blackfish," continues to advocate for the end of keeping killer whales in captivity and has gone on to support legislation in California and New York.
Sticky Header Night Mode. Related Articles. Trending Articles from Salon. It also announced then that it would no longer house the whales at its water parks. Read More. The company has come under fire for its treatment of killer whales since the CNN documentary. A post on the Blackfish Twitter account said, "Heartbreaking news. The film gave a disturbing portrayal of the captivity of the killer whales in SeaWorld.
The Orlando-based water park operator responded to the film by calling it false, misleading and "emotionally manipulative" propaganda. In a Twitter post on Friday, the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals shared a photo of the whale with the message: "R.
Tilikum Dead after three decades of misery. In March, when SeaWorld announced that the killer whales currently in its care will be the last generation of the mammals enclosed at the water parks, the company said, "Why the big news? SeaWorld has been listening and we're changing.
Society is changing and we're changing with it. Other whales remain at the water park. Tilikum became a part of SeaWorld 25 years ago, according to the company. The whale was near the high end of the average life expectancy for male killer whales according to an independent scientific review. Treatment included "combinations of anti-inflammatories, anti-bacterials, anti-nausea medications, hydration therapy and aerosolized antimicrobial therapy," according to SeaWorld. In , as Blackfish helped Tilikum's story reach millions of viewers, SeaWorld descended into an era of decline in annual visitors, revenue, and stock price.
Before the recent decision to end captive breeding, SeaWorld shares were down more than 55 percent from their pre- Blackfish highs.
Legislators in California, New York, Washington, and congress started promoting bills to put the brakes on killer whale captivity. SeaWorld is not in the habit of commemorating its dead killer whales, though Tilikum may prove an exception. He will undergo a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death—many would say the proximate cause was captivity—then his remains will be disposed of.
In the past, dead SeaWorld animals were usually taken to a rendering plant. But their loss and his troubled life ultimately brought an end to killer whale captivity at SeaWorld, and may help bring an end to it worldwide. Search Search. Tilikum had survived longer in captivity than any other male killer whale except one.
Phelan M. Twitter Icon. Filed to: Obituary.
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