Eternal Captivity

Eternal Captivity

Can history be changed? One ill-fated orca named Lolita starred in the anti-animal cruelty movement in the 21st century. Half a century ago, Lolita was abducted from the wild, which was her only home. Since then she has been imprisoned, been alone, exploited for entertainment, and tired of life. 51 years ago, on August 8th, orca hunters kidnapped and sold baby Lolita to the Miami Seaquarium. Lolita was captured by money hungry people and has endured starvation and abuse. She constantly reminds us of the horrible evolution of animal entertainment. When did we turn this ruthless? Before being a prisoner, Lolita swam to her heart’s desire, around the globe. Now, at Miami Seaquarium she is forced to swim at the tank’s longest yet undesirable length, only 4 times her body length.

When she was named by the seaquarium, her captive life began. At only four years old, she was kidnapped from her family and held hostage at Miami Seaquarium’s single tank. She tolerated pain and torture for more than 90% of her life. The deepest point of Lolita’s tank in Miami is just 20 feet unlike the hundreds of miles in the ocean. Her tank is not the only issue, but her physical health, mental health, and performances are also concerning. The oceanarium claims that Lolita is monitored under first-class veterinarian care, but in reality, Lolita is far from being healthy. For one, her teeth have been drilled, filled, and cut; it’s a common problem among captive orcas due to frustration and the urge to escape. Lolita suffers teeth damage and infections caused by drilling the teeth and exposing pulp cavities. Furthermore, Lolita is given unrequired antibiotics, antifungals, pain medication (including narcotics), steroids, hormones, and antacids to treat ulcers. Often she was given drugs without any medical evidence proving that they were required. Hidden records recovered by PETA show that she was given at least one medication every day. Obviously, the vast amount of medications that Lolita was given on a regular basis confirms that Lolita is not healthy. According to PETA, all of the treatment that she receives is for illnesses caused by captivity. In compensation for all of Lolita’s suffering, you would think that Lolita has company in her tank, but she has no company. Yes, Lolita has been in solitary confinement for the past 51 years. Human interaction inside her tank has also been minimized because people labeled her as an aggressive and dangerous “monster.” This takes a toll on Lolita’s mental health. She has been going crazy to say the least. Lolita shows signs of “zoochosis,” which, to put it simply, is excessive boredom. With all these problems, Lolita is still forced to do at least 2 performances per day and perform unnatural tricks including flips above water which harm an orca in the long run. The trainers at the oceanarium never let their audience know any of this information during shows because of the fear that they may lose business. Despite many legal issues that the Miami Seaquarium faced regarding the size of Lolita’s tank, they never enlarged it due to the expense of renovation.

Want to help this lonely orca? Animals has got the best way to help Lolita. Lolita does not need to spend the rest of her life imprisoned, we can still free her from her depressing tank at Miami Seaquarium. Any captive orca can not be set free into the ocean, but rather to seaside sanctuaries. This is because the orca spends the majority of its life in captivity, so it does not learn the basic skills needed to survive in the wild like hunting. The Whale Sanctuary Project promises a solution for other captive orcas like Lolita by constructing seaside sanctuaries with over 11 acres of space. Seaside sanctuaries are not only for orcas but other large whales like belugas. We cannot achieve our goal of helping move Lolita without your support. Please sign the petition to help change Lolita’s destiny. Also, consider donating to The Whale Sanctuary Project to help the organization build more seaside sanctuaries. Every person and every penny makes a difference for the voiceless. Let’s all come together to make a meaningful change for these Lolita and other animals facing the same reality as her. Become a voice for the voiceless today!

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