Kiska, the last orca to live in captivity in Canada, died this week. For 11 years, she lived alone in an aquarium, away from other animals. The information was advanced by the government of the province of Ontario, Canada, this Friday.
“The Department has been informed by Marineland that the orca named Kiska died at Marineland on March 9, 2023. A necropsy was performed by Marineland staff,” spokesperson Brent Ross, spokesperson for the Office of the Attorney General of Ontario, explained in a statement sent by E-mail.
Since 1982 that Kiska lived in an aquarium at Marineland, a theme park in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The orca was caught in Icelandic waters in 1979 when she was around 47 years old. While at Marineland, he had over 20 teammates and five newborn babies who died in infancy. A Association animal rights PETA described her as “the loneliest orca in the world”.
For weeks, the health of Kiska it was deteriorating. “The team and the marine mammal experts have done everything possible to ensure the comfort of Kiska and will feel their loss”, quoted the local press.
Reuters/PHIL DEMERS
“The loneliest orca in the world”
Animal welfare association PETA notes that Kiska had a lonely life marked by tragedy due to the deaths of his five children. They all died before reaching the age of seven.
Animal Justice, a Canadian non-profit organization, is calling for an investigation into Marineland’s handling of the orca’s death.
“The animal protection services were there [na altura da morte] to determine compliance with the rules”, assures the spokesperson of the Office of the Attorney General of Ontario, Brent Ross. Marineland has undergone over 160 audits since January 2020 to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
In January, a few weeks before the death of Kiskamore than 560,000 people have signed a petition online intended to coerce the park into attempting to free the orca.
“Freelance communicator. Hardcore web practitioner. Entrepreneur. Total student. Beer ninja.”
