Latest Worrying News On Morgan The Orca
Morgan’s sad story continues as Loro Parque (the captive facility where she is held) claims the young female orca is deaf and can therefore not be released back into the wild.
Morgan was taken from Dutch waters by Dolphinarium Harderwijk on 23rd June 2010, when she was found underweight and in poor health. The Dutch dolphinarium nursed her back to health, but refused to release her back into the wild. Animal welfare groups, including WDCS and newly formed Orca Coalition called for Morgan to be rehabilitated and released, but after a court case, Morgan was sent to Loro Parque, Spain, where she has now become part of the daily orca shows performing tricks for tourists.
Morgan supporters are stunned to hear that Loro Parque has now made claims that Morgan is deaf. Claims like these have been made in the past by the captivity industry to prevent release back into the wild. The Orca Coalition, which was set up to be a voice for Morgan’s freedom, says that no independent expert has been consulted at any time by either Dolphinarium Harderwijk or Loro Parque to assess Morgan’s health, and therefore claims that Morgan is deaf comes from within the captivity industry and is merely another way of trying to justify keeping Morgan captive.
The fight for Morgan continues as The Orca Coalition once again brings the case before Dutch courts, possibly as early as August this year. A lot is at stake as important decisions will be made about Morgan’s freedom and a legal precedent could be set to change the lives of captive animals forever.
