SeaWorld trainer killed

[jsharmon7]

A killer whale killed a trainer earlier today at SeaWorld in front of an audience that had gathered for a show. I can't imagine what the poor trainer's family is going through, or the kids in the audience for that matter. Very sad!

Whale kills Fla. SeaWorld trainer as guests watch - Yahoo! News

 

[Hardballer45]

I just heard about that. very sad but i dont blame the whale.

 

[HandK]

That is sad!! we seem to forget that they are wild animals when they do tricks in front of us!!

 

[shooter521]

we seem to forget that they are wild animals when they do tricks in front of us!!

Making a Sea World trainer disappear is a heck of a trick.

Seriously, though. The victim was an experienced trainer who had been working with killer whales at Sea World for the past 10 years. An eyewitness describes the whales as appearing "agitated" prior to the show. I'm curious to know the animal's history (past incidents of aggression?), and if there's any inkling as to what might have set it off.

 

[Blind Squirrel]

Seriously, though. The victim was an experienced trainer who had been working with killer whales at Sea World for the past 10 years. An eyewitness describes the whales as appearing "agitated" prior to the show. I'm curious to know the animal's history (past incidents of aggression?), and if there's any inkling as to what might have set it off.

In 1991, the same orca, "along with two female (killer) whales, drowned a young part-time trainer named Keltie Byrne at Sealand of the Pacific in Canada," the Humane Society stated.
Tillikum was later shipped to SeaWorld Orlando, the Humane Society noted, and in 1999, "a man who had apparently stayed in the park after closing hours jumped into Tillikum's tank ... He was found dead the next morning, naked and draped across the whale. The man's swim trunks were found in the water, and his body was scraped up, a sign that Tillikum had dragged him around the bottom and sides of the tank."

 

[Dogman]

That is sad!! we seem to forget that they are wild animals when they do tricks in front of us!!

Especially when the animal has killer as part of its name, kind of gives a hint of what a 6 ton animal might do.

 

[Fletch]

Especially when the animal has killer as part of its name, kind of gives a hint of what a 6 ton animal might do.

I was gonna say... a killer whale kills somebody... who could've seen that coming?

 

[Blind Squirrel]

I grew up in the Northwest and have had the privilege of seeing the two pods that live in the Puget Sound up close. They are amazing creatures in the wild. Watching them swim in the Sound makes me wonder how they can keep their sanity in the relatively tiny enclosers at Sea World. I am surprised more of them don't snap from the stress of living for such a long time in such a contained environment.

 

[jblomenberg16]

In a related story, President Obama issued an Executive Order today immediately banning Killer Whales. Among other things, their "scary black color" is intimidating and makes people uncomfortable.

 

[printcraft]

In a related story, President Obama issued an Executive Order today immediately banning Killer Whales. Among other things, their "scary black color" is intimidating and makes people uncomfortable.

They have the fluke that goes up.

 

[Marc]

In a related story, President Obama issued an Executive Order today immediately banning Killer Whales. Among other things, their "scary black color" is intimidating and makes people uncomfortable.

ohhh i have may things about the color similarities between obama and assault weapons but it would be considered racist. but if he wants to ban assault weapons and black whales... well you know where this is going.

 

[CountryBoy19]

In a related story, President Obama issued an Executive Order today immediately banning Killer Whales. Among other things, their "scary black color" is intimidating and makes people uncomfortable.

 

[redneckmedic]

Seriously, though. The victim was an experienced trainer who had been working with killer whales at Sea World for the past 10 years.

siegfried and roy

 

[LEaSH]

They need to free those Willies and not keep them in a small pool like some sort of circus clown.

 

[shooter521]

siegfried and roy

Exactly. The victim in this case, like Roy, was an experienced animal handler, so it wasn't likely anything the trainer did (or failed to do) that provoked the attack.

 

[50bmgshooter]

Why was that thing even doing shows for? The article said this is the THIRD time its been involved in a human death! It should have been put down after the first one.

 

[hornadylnl]

Anyone else see a recent documentary on dolphin hunting in japan? My wife rented it the other day. It has the guy from the show flipper in it.

 

[Benny]

Why was that thing even doing shows for? The article said this is the THIRD time its been involved in a human death! It should have been put down after the first one.

Jack Hanna was on MSNBC tonight defending their decision to not retire it before now...He was saying one of the deaths couldn't be proven and the time the guy sneaked in, it was his fault. I agree that it was his fault, but if an animal of that size kills a human, no one else should ever be in a tank with it again...You don't see dogs getting 2-3 chances.