#loro parque

Absolutely fantastic video sharing the recent work that Dolphin Communication Project has been doing with the killer whales at Loro Parque. It's really great to see more research being done with the orcas in human care in regards to behaviour and welfare because I really felt there was not nearly enough research focused there. And now we're really getting some really awesome data!

There are some fantastic mic drop moments in here about cetaceans in human care and the importance of research with a baseline population. And it's just genuinely really cool to learn about dolphin and killer whale behaviour, social dynamics and communication.

But I also can't get over Morgan just cheesing it up in the background of every interview with the Kiessling family members.

I know! It’s been amazing to get to see the little guy grow over the last year. Just the milestone of getting to a year is so big for any cetacean - wild or in human care.

Of course, not everyone is thrilled….

Tabloids like this really just love to platform the most inflammatory views possible. And not sure why celebrities with no experience in animal welfare are getting a platform here but uh… idk about “world’s saddest birthday”.

The little guy looks very healthy and is engaging with his caretakers. And he got a gelatin cake!

Morgan has also been a fantastic mother and just goes to show that just because she struggled with feeding Ula, didn’t make her unable to nurse calves forever.

I do think it’s deeply sad when people’s first response to a baby orca being born or making it to his first year, surrounded by his loving caretakers and mother, is “this is sad and tragic”.

Meanwhile, Teno has grown up and shown interest and curiosity and willingness to play and interact. He definitely already seems to be bonding with his trainers.

Yet people will say that’s sad because it’s “not natural”. But that is the life he will have. He’s not a wild whale and he never will be. The “naturism fallacy” underpins a lot of this sense of guilt or shame that’s inflicted by these animal rights groups.

“Natural” doesn’t mean better. It’s just a different way of life. Teno is growing up and adapting to a life where he will never have to worry about hunting for food just to survive.

But it’s also important he bonds with his caretakers because that makes veterinary care easier and safer. And it also opens up his life to other enrichment and problem solving opportunities that his wild counterparts would not need - because they’re too busy surviving.

I guess for humans it’s the difference between being at home and being bored at times but having your own personal chef, educator and entertainer to keep you fed, active and learning all day long - alongside your family and friends.

vs living out in the middle of the woods and having to hunt for your next meal.

Anyway I kind of went off on a tangent here but I’m hoping more people will celebrate Teno as the little joy that he is. I don’t think anyone should feel guilty or shameful about enjoying seeing animals we love up close. Especially in accredited facilities like Loro Parque.

He’s just so cute!

Check out https://www.facebook.com/share/1HAsvBwS25/?mibextid=wwXIfr for lots of Teno cuteness

Todos los canarios nos sentimos representados con tus vídeos, tus palabras y buen hacer, que Magec te ilumine en tus caminos difíciles y Acoran te acompañe, ahul.

Hello! Sorry for the inactivity, but I have something important to share! Please, read; 2 Killer whales, Wikie and Keijo, along with a pod of dolphins at the now closed-down Marineland Antibes in France are at risk of an unnecessary euthanasia. But why, you may ask? Multiple animal rights activist groups have been wasting months worth of time for these animals to move out to safer conditions, claiming that they will build a sanctuary for them. Not only do these take years, but none of them exist yet and no one has a permit, even. Today is the deadline for all the animals there. Loro Parque, the park that was suppose to get Wikie and Keijo, has summited an appeal. No updates yet.