Captive calf faces a lifetime in a barren tank as ‘horrified’ movie star campaigners vent fury at ‘merciless’ situations
Teno and Morgan at Loro Parque (Picture: World Animal Safety) This text incorporates affiliate hyperlinks, we’ll obtain a fee on any gross sales we generate from it. Be taught extra
A captive orca could have the “world’s saddest birthday” on Tuesday when it turns one, campaigners have mentioned.
Animal welfare activists are marking the primary birthday of Teno, an orca born at Loro Parque in Tenerife, by urging vacationers to not assist whale and dolphin reveals.
They warned that the calf, which already performs for guests, is prone to spend his total life confined to a tank for leisure.
BBC Strictly star Flavia Cacace mentioned: “Once I first turned concerned on this marketing campaign, I used to be horrified that orcas had been nonetheless being bred right into a lifetime of captivity, simply to entertain vacationers.
“I knew that there have been nonetheless orcas left captive in these appalling venues, however understanding that extra of those unbelievable animals are being bred into struggling, comparable to poor Teno, is horrifying. Teno now faces a long time of merciless captivity.
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“These animals don’t select to be performers – they’re compelled to.”
Teno was born final 12 months to Morgan, an orca rescued off the Dutch coast in 2010 with the intention of rehabilitation and launch.
She was as an alternative transferred to Loro Parque, the place she now performs in day by day reveals and has been used for breeding.
World Animal Safety mentioned tourism continues to drive demand for captive dolphin and whale reveals.
It added that the TUI Group performs a “important function” in selling venues like Loro Parque.
The charity mentioned that TUI continues to promote tickets to Loro Parque and different captive dolphin leisure venues regardless of the journey agency updating its animal welfare coverage in November 2024 to state that it could not promote venues that breed whales and dolphins for business functions.
Katheryn Sensible, wildlife campaigns supervisor at World Animal Safety, mentioned: “Anybody visiting Tenerife this 12 months ought to suppose twice earlier than going to see the ‘cute child orca’ at Loro Parque.
“When the music stops and the viewers leaves, Teno will nonetheless be circling that very same empty pool for many years. A birthday needs to be a time for celebration, however in Teno’s case, it merely marks the primary of a few years confined to a barren tank.
“All over the world, attitudes are altering. Venues are closing, many journey firms have stopped selling these points of interest, and international locations are banning whale and dolphin captivity. But TUI continues to revenue from them by exploiting loopholes in its personal animal welfare coverage.”
A spokesman for Loro Parque claimed the data offered by World Animal Safety “incorporates quite a few inaccuracies”.
He added: “Loro Parque is backed by greater than 50 years of scientific rigor and stands as a world benchmark for animal welfare, holding all accreditations and certifications from unbiased organisations, comparable to American Humane Society.
“We’re proud to have 4 orcas in our intensive aquarium, together with Teno who was born right here final 12 months. Teno’s mom, Morgan, was rescued in a critically sick state after washing ashore within the Netherlands.
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“When our vet group found that Morgan was deaf, it was clear she wouldn’t have survived a return to the ocean. Loro Parque funds intensive analysis on-site and all over the world to achieve a greater understanding of orca behaviour so we are able to play our half in defending the species from extinction.”
TUI was contacted for remark.
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