On Wednesday, February 24, 2010, Dawn Brancheau was killed by Tilikum, a 6-ton orca at SeaWorld, Orlando. Original reports said that Brancheau was swimming with Tilikum when this happened. Videos have shown that she wasn’t actually swimming with the killer whale. She was laying in a slide out area of about 4 inches of water.
Thad Lacinak, former head trainer at Sea World, stated that there was a protocol in place when he worked there that trainers do not lay in the slide out area when working with the whales. “Sometimes we get too comfortable when working with these animals. …We all know the risk and Dawn certainly knew the risk.” Lacinak commented in an interview with ABC News. Lacinak also states that “She made a mistake.”
According to the videos of this tragic event, while laying down in the slide out, Dawn Brancheau’s hair floated out towards Tilikum. Tilikum grabbed it and that is when the trainer was pulled in and eventually was killed. Tilikum will continue to be a part of the SeaWorld Parks family. "He's been a part of our team and he will remain a part of our team," SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment President Jim Atchison told reporters.
We go to these shows and think how adorable and fun these animals are. We need to remember that there is a reason why they are referred to as killer whales. Should these animals be held in captivity and made to perform? This is a question that is, and will continue to be, passionately argued.
Should Tilikum be blamed for reacting in a way that is inherent in his nature? I don’t think so. I tend to agree with Thad Lacinak. Dawn Brancheau was a veteran trainer of 16 years. She should have known better than to let her guard down. It is a tragedy that this experienced trained lost her life. I think that SeaWorld is making the right decision in not making Tilikum pay for this with his life. For me, the ideal situation would be that these majestic animals were not held in captivity. Since they are, they need to be given the respect they deserve and trainers should always be cautious when interacting with them.
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1 comments:
I am glad you posted this as I heard bits and pieces of this. It is a tragedy but at least Sea World is taking precautions and things are being looked into. I bet it's easy to get attached with these animals and build trust with them after working with them so long.
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