Tragic death of killer whale Hugo who bashed head against tank walls

Reports say killer whale Hugo kept at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida decades ago reportedly died after suffering from brain aneurysm while ramming against the aquarium's enclosure since it was unhappy in captivity.

The famous orca had died on March 4, 1980, in the Florida aquarium. According to the Dolphin Project, Hugo was held in a "tiny pool" and stayed in the enclosure for two years and later moved into the tank alongside another whale Lolita.

Watch:

The Dolphin Project said Hugo would "regularly and intentionally" bash his head against the walls of the tank even as the two orcas shared the seaquarium’s spotlight.

The act was an apparent suicide bid by the whale held at the seaquarium.

After 12 years of "performances and repeated brutal, self-inflicted damage to his head, Hugo died", it added.

Animal rights activists had earlier protested against Lolita's continued presence at the aquarium for the past 51 years. Lolita had arrived at Miami's seaquarium in 1970.

Lolita now 55 has reportedly been confined in a pool which activists say is too small.

(With inputs from Agencies)