A tribute to Angel, Japan dolphins day
A tribute to Angel, who was captured in the Taiji dolphin hunts.
In January 2014, the hunters spotted a rare albino baby dolphin swimming with her mother in a pod of about 150 dolphins. Knowing this dolphin would be extremely valuable as an aquarium exhibit, they drove the pod into the killing cove and caught the albino baby in a net. The baby dolphin was then motored to the nearby Taiji Whale Museum, a place notorious for keeping marine mammals in tiny, chlorinated tanks.
The albino dolphin — named Angel by activist Ric O'Barry — gained international coverage when she was first captured by the Taiji Whale Museum, and caused outrage from animal lovers concerned about her well-being.
Angel was eventually placed in an indoor tank with four or five other dolphins, but this hasn't improved her welfare. There's very little space. In the wild Angel might have swum 100 kilometers [62 miles] in a day, but she now has to swim in awkward circles trying not to hit the edge of her tank. The tank is barren, and completely devoid of stimuli.
Not surprisingly, Angel and her tankmates have become extremely frustrated. Angel has "rake" scars on her skin, probably from dominant male dolphins attacking her.
Angel's tiny tank is also filled with chlorinated water, which is extremely bad for any cetacean, causing eye irritations and other health problems. But as an albino dolphin, Angel is particularly susceptible to these eye problems. She often has her eyes closed, perhaps because the chemicals in the water are too harsh.
With the support of Ric O'Barry, Save Japan Dolphins, and the Earth Island Institute, AFD filed a lawsuit against the Taiji Whale Museum. Now the judge has made a ruling in the activists' favor, and AFD has announced that this decision will aid the ongoing battle to have Angel relocated to a sea pen.
In January 2014, the hunters spotted a rare albino baby dolphin swimming with her mother in a pod of about 150 dolphins. Knowing this dolphin would be extremely valuable as an aquarium exhibit, they drove the pod into the killing cove and caught the albino baby in a net. The baby dolphin was then motored to the nearby Taiji Whale Museum, a place notorious for keeping marine mammals in tiny, chlorinated tanks.
The albino dolphin — named Angel by activist Ric O'Barry — gained international coverage when she was first captured by the Taiji Whale Museum, and caused outrage from animal lovers concerned about her well-being.
Angel was eventually placed in an indoor tank with four or five other dolphins, but this hasn't improved her welfare. There's very little space. In the wild Angel might have swum 100 kilometers [62 miles] in a day, but she now has to swim in awkward circles trying not to hit the edge of her tank. The tank is barren, and completely devoid of stimuli.
Not surprisingly, Angel and her tankmates have become extremely frustrated. Angel has "rake" scars on her skin, probably from dominant male dolphins attacking her.
Angel's tiny tank is also filled with chlorinated water, which is extremely bad for any cetacean, causing eye irritations and other health problems. But as an albino dolphin, Angel is particularly susceptible to these eye problems. She often has her eyes closed, perhaps because the chemicals in the water are too harsh.
With the support of Ric O'Barry, Save Japan Dolphins, and the Earth Island Institute, AFD filed a lawsuit against the Taiji Whale Museum. Now the judge has made a ruling in the activists' favor, and AFD has announced that this decision will aid the ongoing battle to have Angel relocated to a sea pen.
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