Marine Connection has received news that Ula, the calf of Morgan, died yesterday 10 August. We have had concerns about Ula’s health for many months. In April 2021, Loro Parque reported that the two-and-a-half-year-old’s mood had deteriorated and she had been showing signs of an intestinal problem. Over the past few days her spirits were apparently down again, a necropsy is to be carried out to ascertain the exact cause of death.
Ula is the second young orca to die at Loro Parque, another known as Vicky died in 2013, at less than one year old. How many more orca lives will be lost in captivity – these animals simply do not thrive in confinement and it’s time to end the shows.
Marine Connection Director Margaux Dodds states; “The public display industry constantly claim that they have ‘state of the art’ veterinary care at their disposal, despite this whales (and dolphins) continue to die in their care, many at a young age. Confinement of these marine mammals, and their use for entertainment, has no place in today’s society and Marine Connection will continue working towards phasing out breeding of all cetaceans by this industry, in order to end captivity permanently.”
Updates to follow.
