Animal rights groups try to halt orca move to Tenerife

[KirstyJay]

Animal rights activists are going to court in an effort to stop an orca known as Morgan being moved to the Loro Parque attraction park on the Canary Island of Tenerife.

The hearing will take place on August 3. Earlier this week, the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk said Morgan was to be moved to the island but the activists say Morgan should be returned to the wild.

The animal was rescued from the Wadden Sea in a severely weakened state a year ago.

'We want the judge to give science a chance. Independent research will show that Morgan is very suitable for release,' a spokesman told the Telegraaf.

Experts said in December Morgan could not be returned to the wild because efforts to find her pod – or family – using her dna had failed.

source (http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/07/animal_rights_groups_try_to_ha.php)

[caroletenerife]

Lets hope Morgan can be returned to the wild and not spend the rest of its life having to 'entertain' humans in an oversized paddling pool in order to be fed x

[bonitatime]

I can see both points of view. Ideally the animal would be returned to the sea but because of the nature of the creature the need to be in a family group and I have no idea how easu it would be to integrate this poor creatue back in a group. Putting it back in the water alone can't be an option as it would also be cruelty.
When the beach themselves by mistake the rest of family tend to wait in the water until they refloat or die.

[TOTO 99]

Perhaps the animal rights activists should listen to the experts.
If someone has spent years studying the animal and become an "expert" then I would have thought they must surely have the animal's best interest at heart? I hope they keep looking for the dna match in the meantime.

[OrcaCoalition]

Hi all, I'm one of those 'animal rights activist' and want to clear things up here. We only ask for a honest chance for this orca. The Dolphinarium only used biased scientists for their research and also a scientist who said he is an orca expert, but he is a seabird expert. Besides that we are backed by a group of scientist who are calling themselves the Free Morgan Release Support Group. These scientists are international experts and have experience in helping stranded and captive orca's go back to the wild. We are going to court, so the Free Morgan group have a chance to tell their story to the government and have a chance to convince them that the best option for this orca is to release her into the wild again. Their plan is a multi-step plan. See for more information the website: www.freemorgan.nl and www.orkacoalitie.nl

If you want to help us to give that orca a chance to go back to the wild then you can help us with a donation: https://www.4just1.com/project/45 or like us on facebook: facebook.com/freemorgan

Hope I have explained it

[cynophilia]

Morgan is the new Gudrun!! She will go no matter what. What worries me is that in both places (Seaworld and Loro Parque) accidents happend with orca´s...

[caroletenerife]

Happy to hear you are going to try and work on this animals behalf, and i hope it has a happy outcome for Morgan. Keep us posted please, good luck x I will try to drum up support on FB


Morgan is the new Gudrun!! She will go no matter what. What worries me is that in both places (Seaworld and Loro Parque) accidents happend with orca´s...

Do you have any links to these accidents, i would be interested to learn about them, thanks x

Added after 1 28 minutes:

http://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/nature/Blood-in-the-Water-Keto.html?page=1

Interesting reading, (be warned its 11 pages) I certainly wasnt aware that 3 of their whales were involved in 'incidents'. Poor beasts, please do all you can to stop Morgan ending up being that miserable.

[YOUNG GOLFER]

part for Kirstys post.
The animal was rescued from the Wadden Sea in a severely weakened state a year ago.

So to be fair if it wasn't for mankind helping this animal in the first place would it not of been dead already?.

[KirstyJay]

Isn't it good that this original thread has a reply from a person involved in the actual story who is giving an actual viewpoint on the forum.

Thanks for joining, OrcaCoalition. :) Please don't be a stranger.

In the interests of unbiased discussion it would be interesting to hear from the other side too...

[caroletenerife]

part for Kirstys post.
The animal was rescued from the Wadden Sea in a severely weakened state a year ago.

So to be fair if it wasn't for mankind helping this animal in the first place would it not of been dead already?.

Totally agree, and its been a sensation for visitors where it has been recovering, what i have a problem with is, this creature is only young, about 2 years old i think. Being a highly intelligent creature it needs to be moved because its showing signs of mental distress, the report i read highlighted 3 cases of the whales at Loro park showing signs of distress and 'incidents' happened resulting in injury and one death to trainers. The death in America last year of a trainer who was killed by a whale that had attacked numerous times, and the subsequent inquiry showed these animals get angry and frustrated when they only get rewarded with food when they 'get it right'. Wild orcas can live 50 to 60 years, in captivity half that (theres a clue to why its wrong). Given this, Morgan the orca could face 28 years of going round and round in an oversized swimming pool, 3 shows a day, 365 days a year. I think thats a horrendous fate for a creature that should be roaming the oceans. I believe EVERYTHING should be done to reintroduce it to the wild, where it belongs.x

[timmylish]

Hope its released back into open water rather than be locked up for life.

[cynophilia]

I hope Morgan will go to were it belongs, the ocean! But I think at the time the press release is made everything is already organised .Money being transferred and the last stamps are obtained. Why my interest: I worked in Dofinarium , I am from Harderwijk and I have seen Gudrun´s move...Now what worried me is the attacks last year and I was thinking maybe there is more than we ever know.We had many earthquakes last year .... I dont know...All the tricks the orka´s make in a show is what they CAN do in the wild as well.Only in a show its orchestraded...But why in two big parks far away from each other these accidents ?? Were is it gone wrong?

[bonitatime]

But why in two big parks far away from each other these accidents ?? Were is it gone wrong?

My understanding is that Sea world did all the advising for Loro Parque so if mistakes were made they will have been made in both places. I hope they find a family as to release it alone would be murder.
One of the really lovely things here in the south is the beach in el Puertito where turtles have been released. When I was a child threre were 3 turtles in what could only be described as a paddling pool outside the Hotel Los Gigantes many years ago. They wandered around and round in circles which was very sad. There were claimed by a gov association with others they released back in the sea. These creatures can't really fend for themselves and are fed mostly nowadays by dive schools as they are a great attraction. But is is one thing to release turtles and feed them it is quite something else to release a Killer Whale.

[admin]

Activists in court over Orca Morgan's move to Tenerife

Animal rights activists are in court on Wednesday in an effort to prevent an orca known as Morgan being moved to an amusement park on the island of Tenerife.

They want the animal, found last year in a severely weakened state in the Wadden Sea, to be returned to the wild.

Since being rescued, Morgan has been kept in the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk and is now scheduled to move to the Spanish island, where she will be with other orcas.

But activists say not enough has been done to find her family, and argue that orcas suffer severe stress when kept in small tanks. They also say the experts consulted by the Dolfinarium are not experts in orcas.

source (http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/08/activists_in_court_over_orca_m.php)

[OrcaCoalition]

We have won in court. Ofcourse we hoped the judge ruled also that the orca should be returned to the wild, but he didn't do that. Now the Ministry has to do their homework again. So they should talk to other scientists too. She won't go to Tenerife for now.

Court blocks export of rescued whale: http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/08/03/general-eu-netherlands-whale_8598834.html

[OrcaCoalition]

Totally agree, and its been a sensation for visitors where it has been recovering, what i have a problem with is, this creature is only young, about 2 years old i think

The Dolfinarium in Harderwijk is not clear on that. At one moment they talk about a baby orca, then about a todler and when they want to move her she is a young women. And that in one year! I know that animals can grow a lot in one year, but from kid to a young adult in one year? That is a little bit strange.

The other experts think that she is older then what the Dolfinarium has said when she was taken from the wild.

[admin]

The Black Fish and other organisations in the Orca Coalition secured a victory in court today for the captive orca named Morgan by having her proposed export to the entertainment park Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain, blocked. A judge ruled that the Ministry needs to do more to investigate whether the proposed 'scientific research' at Loro Parque is not just a guise under which the orca can be quickly moved to the SeaWorld owned facility. The judge also ruled that the orca will have to be moved to a bigger tank at the Dolphinarium in the short term, one where she will have move space and at least have contact with other animals (dolphins). In addition he made the recommendation that all interested parties (Orca Coalition, Free Morgan Group and Dolphinarium) will have to start a dialogue to come to a common solution for the orca under the guidance of the responsible Ministry.

The Orca Coalition is incredibly happy with the outcome of the case and the granting of the injunction which effectively prohibits the Dolphinarium to banish Morgan to a miserable life in captivity. Wietse van der Werf, spokesperson for the coalition: "Of course the fact that she now remains in the Dolphinarium for the short term is not ideal and it is definitely not a solution. But as she is temporarily moved to a larger tank and we continue to fight for her freedom, this really is an important first step in the right direction. It is clear that the judge saw a lot of dubious things in the Dolphinariums plans and his ruling now opens the door to the possibilities of release. The decision today is definitely an unprecendented one and puts a spanner in the works for the ongoing lucrative and illegal trade in these magnificent animals. SeaWorld, the proposed new owner of orca Morgan, is really not going to be very happy."

Also it turned out that the scientific research proposal the Dolphinarium submitted to be allowed to move Morgan was in fact a six year old research proposal which was originally used to get the permission to move four orca's from the US to Loro Parque in 2006. The plan was simply recycled for the Morgan case to justify her export under the guise of scientific research. The judge made clear that it is the responsibility of the Ministry to further investigate this and to ensure more is done to take charge of the case. It was clear that the Ministry simply followed the Dolphinarium in their advice that 'release of Morgan would be suicide' and that Loro Parque would be the best option for her.

The campaign to regain Morgan her freedom will continue. A very important first step has been taken today. With your ongoing support we will make sure that she gets the full justice she deserves! Please support the campaign generously and keep an eye out for updates on the campaign via the Free Morgan FB page or the @orkacoalitie Twitter feed. Further information can be found on http://www.orkacoalitie.nl

[caroletenerife]

Thats just made my day, great news and well done to The Orca Coalition for their hard work. I really hope they locate Morgans pod, im sure they will (now the publicity has kicked in) in the meantime she is better off where she is rather than being sent to Loro Park to live out a miserable life performing tricks, today is a good dayxx

[admin]

Marine biologists have identified orcas living close to the Norwegian island of Lofoten which make similar sounds to Morgan, the orca at the centre of a legal row over her possible transfer to a Tenerife amusement park, the AD reports on Friday.

Morgan was found in the Wadden Sea in a severely weakened state over a year ago. She is currently being cared for at the Harderwijk dolfinarium, which plans to hand her over to Tenerife because she cannot be returned to the wild.

But campaigners won an injunction banning the transfer pending further research into the likelihood of Morgan surviving if released.

Now researchers say there is a good chance they have identified Morgan's relatives because the Lofoten orcas have been found to make similar sounds.

'There are several hundred in different groups and you see them all year round,' Heike Vester of Ocean Sounds, an organisation which records orca language, told the paper.

A better recording of Morgan will now be made to try to determine how close the relatives are.

Source (http://www.dutchnews.nl/news/archives/2011/09/orca_morgans_family_may_have_b.php)

[caroletenerife]

This is very good news, i wish them every success in their efforts to find Morgans relatives. Bet Loro Parque are gutted......goodxxx

[londonjimmy]

Good news that they have found the orcas family, but as far as I understand from reading some information by a New Zealand Orca Expert....this Orca would most probably have died being put back to the sea by herself? I think that is why you will find Orca's end up stranded all together when one ends up stranded. They are incredibly emotional creatures.

"They are incredibly emotional creatures. " - I mean the Orcas, not the 'Animal Rights Activists'! Haha

[admin]

Morgan, a 4-year-old killer whale, has lost her bid for freedom.

Agriculture Secretary Henk Bleker ruled Wednesday that the orca, rescued last year ailing and emaciated from the Wadden Sea off the northern Dutch coast, should be transferred to an amusement park on the Spanish island of Tenerife.

A Dutch court had suspended the government's export permit after an animal rights coalition presented a plan to release her to the wild in stages. A judge ordered the coalition, the Agriculture Ministry and the Harderwijk Dolphinarium, which put her ondisplay after nursing her back to health, to review the scientific evidence and work out a solution.

Bleker said after hearing arguments from both sides that Morgan's chances of survival were too slim if she were freed.

"This feels like a defeat because an animal like this really belongs in the sea and not a zoo," Bleker said in a statement. "Morgan belongs in the wild, but not at all costs."

He said the transfer to Tenerife's Loro Parque, which has one of the world's largest tanks for captured orcas, was "the least bad solution."

Conservationists calling themselves the Free Morgan Group said they would continue trying to block the transfer, first through legislative action and more legal appeals, and then physically if necessary.

"If all else fails, then we will take stark action to physically stop the deportation," said spokesman Wietse van der Werf.

The Animal Rights party, which holds two seats in the Dutch parliament, also will raise the issue in the legislature.

The dolphinarium cannot sell Morgan, since the commercial trade in orcas, an endangered species, is restricted by international law, but collaborates with Sea World and other marine parks.

In the court hearing, scientists disagreed about the whale's prospects of rehabilitation.

Experts summoned by the dolphinarium said Morgan was likely to die if she were released and unable to find her original pod, or family.

Marine scientists arguing for the coalition, however, said the whale's chances were good of integrating into another pod. They outlined a plan to move her to a bay south of Rotterdam where she could gradually get used to being in the wild again. She would be electronically tagged, followed by a boat on frequent "walks" to the open sea and closely monitored if she linked up with other orcas.

Orcas live 40 to 90 years in the wild and bear up to four calves. In captivity they frequently die before they reach age 10, said Van der Werf.

Orcas rarely have been successfully returned to the ocean after being in captivity.

The most famous example was Keiko, the star of the 1993 "Free Willy" film who was caught at age 2 near Iceland and spent many years in Mexico City. After 20 years in various marine parks, Keiko was flown back to Iceland and released under lengthy supervision. He died in 2003 at age 26, apparently of pneumonia, after surviving two months on his own and swimming about 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) to Norway.

source (http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2011/10/12/dutch_govt_orders_whale_transfer_to_spanish_zoo/)

[caroletenerife]

This is sad news for Morgan, a life of servitude. Good news for the money men though, even if she dies 50 years prematurely they will have made a tidy sum out of her