Ocra's in Captivity

The captivity of Orcas is an important part of the conservation of our natural wild life. While keeping Orcas confined in an unnatural habitat may seem cruel and endangering to the species, the benefits these exhibits bring to the people lucky enough to attend them should not be underestimated. In modern society we keep many "wild" (most Orcas in captivity where in fact born in captivity and not in the wild) animals in captivity besides just the Orca, therefore if the argument that they are wild animals is to be used, it is warranted to say no wild animal should be kept in captivity. Through these programs though, the education and knowledge gained by them far outweigh the cons if they were not to exist. More than 700 million people visit zoos and aquariums annually(1). The exposure to wild life that this brings could not be matched fiscally or logistically in any other way. The price to visit Sea World any day as an adult is currently $85.00(2). The capacity at the park far outweighs any number of wildlife tours on the actual ocean would make, again pointing to a real logistics issue. Also, one does not get to see the other wild life that a zoo or an aquarium would offer, limiting the knowledge obtainable by one of those trips. Now that it is evident that captivity is one of the few ways to actually present the animals to a mass audience, it is important to state the actual gains from this exposure. Many young children now have the ability to take a day-trip to the zoo, either with a school or with their parents or any other means. While there, they are able to see these magnificent animals, all from varying parts of the world, which would otherwise be separated by vast distances. They get the opportunity to hear a curator explain more about the animal. Where the originally come from, how they might be endangered by over hunting like what we have seen with many whale populations, and how such simple actions such as leaving waste on a beach can have such a great environmental impact. The simple act of seeing and learning about these animals opens ones mind to the reality that they are living creatures too. This allows visitors to understand how important on an ecological level it is to not greatly disturb these delicate ecosystems, and that these animals are not in an endless supply, and we as humans must curve our actions to stop from sending more animals to extinction like the Dodo. These animals in captive have taken on a greater mission. A mission of enabling our society to see that their is more to progress than machinery, buildings and cities. Progress needs to also be aware of the ever growing ecological impact we make as humans. The benefits these captive animals give our researchers, zoologists, and biologists is also an important factor in the benefits of keeping an animal such as the Orca captive. The prolonged exposure, the availability, the funding, and the collaboration offered by these institutions is one of the greatest features of this. We can see communication techniques, social tendencies, and other things which are much more difficult to obtain in the wild. This information isn't useless either. Knowing how these animals act can help save their peers in the wild, by letting us know how they might act in certain scenarios. The point of Orcas being aggressive deadly animals while having some validity, does not give reason to abandon the programs entirely. Since their captivity in 1961 has started only 4 humans have died from their aggressive actions. That is less than .08 attacks a year. We also continue to improve safety measures for both the people in the tanks with the Orcas and the Orcas themselves, which should only help decline the number of incidents. To clarify, the fact that Orcas are wild animals shouldn't stop us from having some in captivity when it helps the species, and the world as a whole. The educational benefits, conservation efforts, and research opportunities far outweigh the negative aspects of their captivity. Also, while there are incidents where Orcas were aggressive and killed their handlers, these are very rare, and continuing increased measures help ensure that they will not happen again. sources 1. http://www.waza.org... 2. http://seaworldparks.com...