Anger as theme park orca dies ‘swimming in endless circles’ in concrete tank
Outrage has occurred after the mysterious death of an orca confined to a theme park tank was heavily criticised by anti-captivity heads.
Moana, 12, died days ago in her concrete pool with the Marineland in Antibes park now investigating the cause of death, which is currently unknown. An online statement confirmed the "extremely painful" loss of the animal.
The park, based on the French Riviera said: "This loss is extremely painful for all the zoo teams, for the keepers who have built such a bond with Moana and for all those who love Marineland. Moana marked our history and will be greatly missed; he will forever remain in the heart of our teams."
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But their statement and the death of the animal has enraged some, who say the whale had 'declined' and died inside its concrete prison.
A statement from Peta UK criticised the company and the captivity Moana was held in. Their statement read: "He was born in captivity and spent his life confined to a concrete tank, swimming in endless circles. Moana was made to perform for over a decade before his health declined and he died."
French animal rights group One Voice has since hit out at Marineland d'Antibes, which was founded in 1970. A OneVoice announcement from 2021 heavily criticised the world's largest marine animal park for the "poor health" the orca was left in. A separate organisation has since claimed they were investigating the "worrying, declining state of the pools", The Sun reported.
International non-profit The Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC) slammed the facility as being in "poor condition". OneVoice's statement read: "We have been right from the start, and this gives us no satisfaction: Moana was in danger. He was wasting away, his skin, the sudden collapse of his dorsal fin, his stereotyped behaviour and the state of his teeth… all expressing his distress. It was nothing more than a cry for help."
Independent enquiries into the death of Moana allegedly show "deep skin injuries" on the animal, as well as "poor dental health" in the orca's uncle. WDC claim their investigations into the welfare of Marineland's orcas has been legally enforced.
The Daily Star has contacted the Marineland of Antibes for comment.
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