Canadian park says, either send 30 beluga whales to China, or we kill them. Here's why
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Canadian park says, either send 30 beluga whales to China, or we kill them. Here's why")
Thirty beluga whales could soon be killed at a Canadian theme park.
Marineland Park near Niagara Falls is preparing to kill 30 beluga whales. The government has denied its request to send the whales to China, citing a law passed in 2019. Park officials are in a tizzy over what to do next.
A Canadian theme park has issued an ultimatum to its government over 30 beluga whales, which it says it would have to euthanise. Officials of Marineland Park near Niagara Falls say that they do not have the funds to feed and house the whales. So their only option is to either ship them off to China or kill them. However, their request to export 30 belugas to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, an aquarium in China, was denied by Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson earlier this week. The park is now asking for emergency funds. Meanwhile, Thompson says her decision is based on a 2019 law which makes it illegal to use whales and dolphins in entertainment shows or keep them in captivity. So park officials are now asking the Canadian government for funds, or for the name of another sanctuary that would take them in.
Marineland officials say that Chimelong was the only place the belugas could go, as no other sanctuary that could help exists, while the rest of the marine parks do not have enough room. Park officials say they are in debt and quickly running out of money. Worryingly, according to data gathered by the Canadian Press news agency, 20 whales - one killer whale and 19 belugas - have died at the park since 2019. Marineland is up for sale after shutting its doors to the public in 2024.
French park showed trainers stimulating male orca
Marineland of Antibes in southern France is facing a similar problem. The park shut down in January this year, but those concerned could not agree on where to send the orca whales. So now there, Wikie, 24, and her 11-year-old son Keijo are at the park in their pools. Keijo is reaching sexual maturity, but there are no other females at the park. An overhead footage in August taken by activist group TideBreakers showed two trainers stimulating the male orca to stop him from inbreeding with his mother. The park managers told BBC that they decided to sexually stimulate Keijo [to relieve him of his] tensions", and also to avoid them from fighting and injuring each other.
