Page 58 - The 'X' Chronicles Newspaper - February 2014 Edition

Marineland: Killer whale bleeding for months, trainer says Marineland lawyer Andrew Burns emailed the Star Tuesday saying allegations described by the Star were “seriously inaccurate, false, and if published are defamatory of Marineland, its veterinarians and Mr. Holer.” employee/employer relationships are private In an interview, Santos said she has seen thestar.com and confidential.” Kiska cut her dorsal fin on the sharp fibreglass Other whales have been bloodied at the grates, adding “we cut our fingers on them all Niagara Falls tourist park. On Apr. 11, 2012, the time.” Please note that this story was after female beluga Charmin was left on a trailer She doesn’t know if Kiska cut her tail on originally published Oct 18, 2012 when a crane jammed during a move to another the grate or the sides of her pool, but she’s pool, photos show the area soaked with blood. worried about her. She said there are seven or Kiska, the killer whale, swims alone in her pool In a recent Star investigation, former eight trainers for Kiska and the 39 belugas (six at Marineland , often followed by a trail of her staffers blamed ill health, even death, among pregnant) at Friendship and Arctic Coves, own blood. sea mammals on sporadically bad water and a adding she always feels hurried because there’s Her tail has been bleeding off and on lack of sufficient trainers. so much to do . . . there aren’t enough people to since July but has been getting progressively The Ontario Society for the Prevention spend time with Kiska and the others.” worse, according to Christine Santos, who has of Cruelty to Animals launched an Santos said the 27 belugas at Arctic been one of Kiska’s primary trainers. She investigation, which is still ongoing. Cove “ have hardly any attention because we described the bleeding as “gushing” last week. Community Safety Minister Madeleine just have time for strictly feeding.” Marineland lawyer Andrew Burns Meilleur announced a wide consultation to beef The Canadian Association of Zoos and emailed the Star Tuesday saying allegations up animal welfare laws in Ontario and explore Aquariums asserts that Marineland’s animals described by the paper were “seriously licensing zoos and aquariums. are “in overall good health.” The self-regulating inaccurate, false, and if published are In a subsequent email Tuesday evening, industry association began an investigation into defamatory of Marineland, its veterinarians and Burns wrote it is “simply not appropriate, while the park after the Star series and said there were Mr. Holer.” the (OSPCA) investigation continues, to engage “no major issues.” Burns wrote: “(The reporters), along in a debate through the media regarding the However, in a statement released two with the Star, have failed again to take necessary condition of Marineland’s animals or the quality weeks ago, CAZA raised issues about water and appropriate steps to confirm the accuracy of of its care.” quality in three pools, saying there was “an the serious allegations you make.” It’s illegal in the U.S. to keep killer impact on the well-being of the animals,” and The Star had asked Marineland Monday whales alone and, and the OSPCA Act says ordered Marineland to fix the problem. about issues with Kiska, beluga Charmin, as captive wildlife “must be kept in a compatible In a phone interview about Kiska, Bill well as with equipment. That day, a company social group.” Peters, CAZA national director, said: “To the spokesperson called the allegations “seriously Last April, staffers moved two belugas, best of my knowledge, there wasn’t evidence of inaccurate.” Tofino, a male, and Charmin from Friendship bleeding at the time of our (on-site) inspection. No alternative information was Cove to the performing stadium pool. At the end (Aug. 23).” provided. of Charmin’s move, the crane set to lift her in a OSPCA agent Brad Dewar said he The Star obtained recent video of Kiska sling over to the pool jammed, and she was couldn’t comment about Kiska because of the showing a blood trail from cuts in her tail. Once stuck on the flatbed, her tail thrashing against ongoing investigation. one of Marineland’s best show animals, Santos the metal slats and edges of the trailer, Veterinarians June Mergl and Erica said she now spends her days swimming according to former senior trainer Phil Demers. Gehring did not return phone calls from the Star. listlessly and scratching parts of her body “It was one of the worst days of my Kiska has never been a strong whale, against the sides and sharp fibreglass grates that life,” says Demers, who helped in the move. “It according to former trainers, including Santos, run the circumference of her Friendship Cove went on for at least an hour. . . . There was blood who say she’s constantly on medication. Her pool. on Charmin, on the ground, on the side of the pool is concrete with the fibreglass grates along Treating her is difficult because Kiska, pool, on the pads — it was sprayed all over. The the side and a few large rocks on the bottom. about 37, has refused to go into the medical pool worst, though, was that she lay there all that She was captured off Iceland in 1981 for the past month. Her behaviour has been time with the pressure of her heavy weight and developed what one former trainer called “breaking down for some time,” said Santos. (about 1,350 kilograms) on her internal organs “an incredibly close” connection with Nootka, She won’t even present her tail for blood — so bad.” another wild-caught Icelandic whale, and “they samples. Demers said trainers insisted on putting hated to be separated.” They swam constantly Santos believes there aren’t enough an extra pad under her tail. Without it, he says together and vocalized, even having their own trainers to give Kiska and 39 beluga whales the cutting would have been even worse. calls. They even supported other through labour, enough attention at Friendship and Arctic A month later, Demers quit after 12 with Kiska having four calves. The oldest died Coves. years because he could no longer “train animals at 6. Santos was fired Wednesday. She said that were sick and compromised.” Santos said Kiska began declining after she was asked to sign a document that included Demers said he saw other animals being her 4-year-old calf Athena, as well as Nootka, a statement she’d never seen animal abuse at cut during moves between pools, even when died a few years ago. Marineland. She didn’t sign because “it didn’t cranes worked properly. Usually, they are “I love her dearly,” Santos said. “I am feel right.” placed in slings, then put on pads on a trailer worried about her because she is alone. She In an email, administrative director and, at the other end, lifted by crane and into a vocalizes a lot. I feel as if she is calling out for Tracy Stewart wrote: “Marineland respects that different pool. another whale.” []