SeaWorld Curator: Ponytail Likely Caused Fatal Killer Whale Attack

[kazuya]

The innocent swing of a ponytail is likely what caused a killer whale in Orlando's SeaWorld to attack and drown an experienced trainer before the terrified eyes of dozens of bystanders, a SeaWorld official said today. "What we have found out is that Dawn [Brancheau] had just finished up a very good session with this animal... She was interacting with him, petting him on the nose," Chuck Tompkins, curator of zoological operations at SeaWorld Orlando, told "Good Morning America." "Dawn had very long hair in a ponytail.

SeaWorld Curator: Trainer Dawn Brancheau's Ponytail Likely Caused Fatal Killer Whale Attack - ABC News

well i always stick to the point that animals don't forget things(bad things) and i just wonder on what this wale have remembered in that moment...

[Blocker]

That's why animals need to be free!

[SealLion]

well, yes. I do agree with you Blocker, but if we didn't have zoos, we wouldn't be able to enjoy going to the zoo and see the animals up front.
There's many zoos that are totally out-dated where animals such as lions are kept behind these incredibly small cages that aren't even bigger than your bedroom or even your living room.
So when you have animals being caged up in this antiquated cages or even old and very small aquariums, it is expected that animals become agitated, bored, frustrated, angry, and lonely.
In effect, the animal suffers depression and a host of other mental ailements that humans also suffer.
Humans react to stress in similiar ways that animals would too if always being kept in small aquariums and cages.
Of course, I don't know the entire circumstances of this animal's keeping; however, if trainers are constantly demanding animals to perform according to how the trainer want's them to behave and perform, you can just imagine how an animal would react to the induced stress from the trainers.
This, along with the potential stress and boredom of animals while being potentially kept in small aquariums and even cages for land animals, is it any wonder that animals react angrily when demands are placed upon them by trainers.
Animals have feelings too, that's for sure.
HOwever, it is also important to remember that animal trainers need to be vigilant about how much demand and stress they invoke upon the animal.
This in addition to how the animals are also kept. Keeping them in small cages or aquariums is unnecessary and out-dated.
There's a host of zoos around the world that have modern cages and aquariums with a huge amount of space for the animals.
Also, keep in mind that a lot of the animals that are raised in captivity are suppossedly unable to cope out in the 'free' world.

Thats' my 2 cents. :)

[GotIt]

well, yes. I do agree with you Blocker, but if we didn't have zoos, we wouldn't be able to enjoy going to the zoo and see the animals up front.

Yeah, I definetly agree, I think Seaworld takes it all a bit too far, the shows are numerous, and they are required to do so much tricks, and even carry a rider.

There's many zoos that are totally out-dated where animals such as lions are kept behind these incredibly small cages that aren't even bigger than your bedroom or even your living room.

Those are definetly cruel and need to be dealt with. They reduce animals to nothing, lions from the kings of the jungle to little cats in a cage to entertain little children. They should either be set free or sent to a better place...

This, along with the potential stress and boredom of animals while being potentially kept in small aquariums and even cages for land animals, is it any wonder that animals react angrily when demands are placed upon them by trainers.

I personally think that the Curator was silly... she wasn't being cautious next to a captive killer whale...

Animals have feelings too, that's for sure.

+1

This article really reminded me of Ric O'Barry's documentary 'The Cove'; though not related to a person dying. It was saddening to see that a dolphin commited suicide from depression because of performing... A recommended watch!

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A very interesting read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captive...with_captivity