On June 23, 2010, a young female orca now named Morgan was found emaciated off the coast of the Netherlands. The Dolfinarium Harderwijk in the Netherlands captured her and transported her to its facility under a permit specifically so that she could be rehabilitated for subsequent release. She recovered at the dolphinarium in just a few months.
But Morgan was never released back into the wild. Instead, she was shipped off to Loro Parque, a marine park in Tenerife, Spain, which now claims to own her. And she was recently bred, even though, according to the Free Morgan Foundation, laws prohibit using her for breeding.
Even though, according to the Free Morgan Foundation, laws prohibit using Morgan for breeding, Loro Parque did just that. Newborn calves attract larger numbers of visitors, thereby boosting the park’s profits. Like Morgan, the newborn will be housed in a prison-like tank filled with chemically treated water and will almost certainly be forced to perform tricks for human entertainment.
In the wild, orcas live in close-knit pods, often among their siblings, mothers, and grandmothers, for life. But at Loro Parque, Morgan’s baby was separated from her and is being bottle-fed by staff.
haluise 