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France’s last two captive orcas were filmed stranded in an algae-infested marine park near Cannes months after closing, leaving the fate of the marine mammals uncertain.
Animal activists have circulated footage of the killer whales’ plight with the hopes that the French government will rehome them before it’s too late.
“The orcas need to be removed from dangerous conditions that are posing significant risks to their health and safety,” pleaded Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of the animal advocacy group TideBreakers, which shared the heartbreaking video, South West News Service reported.
Marineland Antibes had reportedly shuttered on January 5th in line with French bans on dolphin and whale shows enacted in 2021, leaving the two orcas Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old son Keijo trapped inside their pens along with 12 dolphins.
Heartrending aerial footage shows the cetaceans languishing in algae-choked pools in a derelict stadium like a scene out of a post-apocalyptic Sea World.
“The situation in Marineland Antibes is an emergency and needs worldwide attention,” lamented Schusterova. “These are the last two remaining orcas in captivity in France and they should be moved quickly.”
Unfortunately, campaigns to rehouse the majestic beasts have so far fallen flat with French authorities blocking efforts to transfer the animals to a marine zoo in Japan.
Meanwhile, Spanish authorities rejected a proposal to move the animals to Loro Parque marine park in Tenerife, Spain, claiming that the facility — which is already home to four orcas — did have enough space to “house the specimens in optimal conditions,” BBC reported.
Lori Marino, president of The Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP), is currently campaigning to have Wikie and Keijo rehomed to their site in Nova Scotia, Canada, which she feels could be the “only option left.”
While their previous rehoming plea was rejected by the French Ministry for Ecology earlier this year, the group has re-upped the bid to move them to said sanctuary, which they claim will give them more space to roam than the usual pool.
The team reportedly has experts from a whale sanctuary that was designed to house Keiko — the orca that starred in the 1993 family movie “Free Willy.”
“If you don’t even have a site, you’re years away from being a viable sanctuary,” said Marino while arguing why the Novia Scotia location might be the only viable choice. “We have a whole crew who know how to build and run a sanctuary.”
She added, “They have done it before and I think we are the only team who has any experience in doing this.”
Time is reportedly running out for the stranded mammals.
Managers at Marineland, which is still legally responsible for the animals until they can be rehomed, stressed that Wikie and Keijo “must leave now” for their own welfare.
“Marineland reaffirms the extreme urgency of transferring the animals to an operational destination,” they declared.
Unfortunately, releasing Wikie and her son into the wild is not an option as they were “both born in captivity” and therefore would likely not survive long, according to Schusterova.
“After entertaining the public for years, we should still provide them with a clean and safe environment to live out their remaining years,” she said.
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