After the death of a whale trainer at Sea World Orlando Wednesday, The Humane Society of the United States released a statement re-confirming their stance that whales and dolphins should not be confined to show-aquariums and amusement parks. Naomi Rose, Ph.D, and marine mammal scientist with The Humane Society of the United States, made the following statement in response to the death:
“This is a terrible tragedy and our hearts go out to the family of the trainer. Tillikum, the SeaWorld orca, has now been involved in the deaths of three people. Using these animals in entertainment is not good for animals or people. Sadly, we’ve seen evidence of that again today. Whales and dolphins are large, intelligent, long-lived, socially complex predators who often hunt cooperatively and are capable of swimming a hundred miles in a day. They are unsuited to permanent confinement, often exhibiting neurotic behaviors in these settings. Capture methods are also inhumane, and often not adequately managed or overseen. ”
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization backed by 11 million Americans, or one of every 28. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty On the web at humanesociety.org.
Watchdog group Think Progress released a not-too-surprising yet head-shaking report today. While economist and economic researchers are indicating the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (Stimulus Bill) has put the American economy back on-track and created millions of jobs, Republican politicians hoping to make strides in November continue to brand the stimulus as wasteful government spending, all the while spending every dime of the money given to their districts. Many of the Republicans have even lied, claiming funds spent didn’t come from the stimulus package. Here’s some highlights from the reports’ findings: