Wednesday, August 4/04
By JENNIFER PELLEGRINI
Osprey News Network
NIAGARA FALLS

Fifth Marineland whale dies

One of Marineland's main marine attractions - a 12-year-old killer whale named Neocia - died Sunday, but veterinarians are unsure why. Neocia was the fifth whale in as many years to die at the Niagara Falls attraction. According to the National Marine Mammal Laboratory website, killer whales have a normal life expectancy of 50 to 80 years.

Marineland spokewoman Ann Marie Rondinelli said the results of a necropsy could come within a few days or take more than a month.

Neocia was born at Marineland in 1992 and had been one of five orcas to perform in shows for thousands of people each summer. She appeared to be in good health until recently, Rondinelli said, when abnormal behaviour caused trainers to seek veterinary care. "She wasn't acting quite right," Rondinelli said. "She had lost her appetite and her demeanour changed. The vet did a blood test, but it didn't find anything."

The whale's death came as a shock to trainers, who were given the news when they showed for work. "They had to go through with all their shows," said Rondinelli. "Everyone feels bad when we lose one of our animals, but the trainers take it particularly hard."

It was a difficult weekend all-round at the theme park. Saturday morning's thunderstorm caused a power surge at Marineland, putting the Skyhawk ride and Dragon Mountain roller-coaster out of service. Skyhawk is still being repaired. The Dragon Mountain ride was expected to resume operating today.

Rounding out the holiday weekend misfortune was an incident Monday which saw an 18-month-old girl taken to hospital for stitches after a close encounter with one of the park's deer.

"(Park staff) think she got up behind the deer and spooked it," Rondinelli said. "And then when it moved, she got knocked over."

PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION

The petition calls for an enquiry into the conditions and facilities at Marineland, to find answers as to why these orca are dying so fequently at such a young age.

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/neohelp/petition.html