I disclosed I don't have experience with cetacean biology, that my experience has been with horses, but that similar issues might exist, and certainly similar responsibilities exist. I have worked with some dangerous horses (one which killed a man), and have been pretty well taught to pay attention to my surroundings, my training methods, and be very aware of what the animal I'm working with is thinking, insofar as I can tell. Be assured that one can easily be killed working with horses...and at 1500-1800 pounds, they're not tiny, nor are they weak.
Further, if you bothered to actually read my response at 3:50 (just up-page a bit), you'll note several things I outlined which I don't believe that you can get in the wild...please review that, and consider it. You apparently haven't yet.
And lastly, there is not a need to get snarky with me, thank you very much. I hold a different opinion than you, but that doesn't make me a bad person. I shall give money to Sea World, as is my option. You don't have to, as is your option. Neither one is right or wrong; both are personal choices. And as I sit there in the stands, watching folks who do not have access to these (and other) beasts, and see their faces light with amazement and awe, I know that they see the animals as real, as living, sentient beings, and out of the thousands who see the show, who's to say the next conservationist is born? Who's to say that one person, after touching a dolphin, won't put into the trash the 6-pack plastic holder, now that they realize the animal may die because of their lack of thought?
Of course they make money. They're a business, and businesses do that (at least the successful ones). But unless you understand the positive impact Sea World has had on the ocean inhabitants, don't only look at the one-sided aspect of simple entertainment as bad.
Lastly, I am aware of Tillikum's history. He has been involved in two additional instances which were death-related; one as a trio who killed a female trainer, and one in which we're not exactly sure of what happened, other than a man, dressed only in his underpants, was found draped across Tilikum's back. I am also aware of which type of pod he came from, and know enough to understand that the differences in pod types may have made a huge difference in his behavior.
There is nothing 'natural' about many of the animal's lives that we keep in captivity, bred for that or not. It is not natural for dogs to live on sofas, nor cats on top of the entertainment center; snakes don't belong in aquariums, and cows in milking sheds; chickens in coops, and birds in cages. That's not "natural" either...and some would go so far as to say that humans in houses in inner cities is also not 'natural'.
If one chooses to work with a wild animal, they accept, understand, and undertake the responsibilities of that. If the trainer made the errors, then she made the errors...and that's just the way it is. It cost her her life, and that just sucks...but if she didn't remember the boundaries, didn't keep herself safe (as the video may show), I don't believe that the blame can go anywhere else.
As I stated previously, it's a controversial subject, to be sure. I'd appreciate it if you'd manage to keep it less personal, and discuss the subject, if you can. I do understand, however, the emotional position that you hold. I don't agree with it, but I understand it.
Best-
Herding Cats
Just my opinion, as always.
