Latest news with #Wikie
Daily Mirror
13-06-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Orcas left to rot in algae-infested abandoned zoo 'doomed to die' in sad update
France's last remaining orcas, Wikie and Keijo, spend their endless days swimming around a cramped concrete tank after Marineland Antibes closed permanently in January. Now campaigners warn they are doomed to die without urgent action The two last remaining orcas living in captivity in France could be doomed to die because of government inaction on their abandoned marine park, campaigners have warned. Wikie and her son Keijo are the last killer whales living in France and have been forced to swim around their barren, rotting tank after Marineland Antibes closed down permanently in January this year. Since then, the tragic orcas fill their endless days without stimulation, pining for the bonds they made with their now-dead family members. They are the last two surviving members of their original pod of four. Now the park has closed to the public, their environs are crumbling, with the water in their concrete tank getting dirtier by the day and stinking green algae creeping across the site. While a skeleton staff come in to feed them and provide them with minimum human interaction, Wikie and Keijo have been all but forgotten by the people they used to entertain. READ MORE: UK's secret dolphin pool of horrors - breakdowns, blindness and force-feeding animals who longed to die In a much smaller tank nearby, 12 bottlenose dolphins are the only other inhabitants of the rotting park - and time is running out for them, too. Cetacean campaign group TideBreakers have been lobbying the French government to take urgent action and get the animals out of the park before it's too late. But a row between French officials and the marine park's management - who still bear a legal duty for the welfare of the cetaceans - could drag on until all of the animals have succombed to their tragic fate. Legislation that came in in 2021 banned entertainment shows featuring whales, dolphins and porpoises, and set a hard deadline of December 2026 for Marineland to move their animals to safety. But government ministers have since blocked two proposals to rehome the orcas: one to a marine zoo in Japan, and another to a whale sanctuary in Canada - which is not yet built. The Japanese offer was rejected on the grounds of animal welfare concerns, while the Canadian Whale Sanctuary Project's offer was binned in favour of a potential European sanctuary, because of the strenuous travel involved to get the orcas to North America. A third option, to move the dolphins and two orcas to Loro Parque in Tenerife, was dismissed by an expert panel, who said the proposed tank "would not meet the minimum requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth necessary to house the specimens in optimal conditions". Loro Parque already boasts four captive orcas of its own, including a calf born in March 2025. The French Ministry of Ecology said the government are still hunting for alternatives - while campaigners say there is no time to be dragging their feet. Theme park left abandoned and 'frozen in time' where Orca whales still alive left to rot "To date, with the exception of orcas and dolphins, all the animals have found a new habitat suited to their needs," said a government spokesperson. "With regard to the orcas and dolphins, an assessment by the Spanish Scientific Authority led the latter to oppose the transfer of the orcas and dolphins to Loro Parque (Tenerife) and the transfer of ten dolphins to the Madrid aquarium: the Authority concluded that the facilities did not meet the requirements in terms of surface area, volume and depth to house the specimens in optimum conditions. "This unfavourable opinion means that authorisation cannot be granted to transfer these animals to Spain." They added: "Pending their transfer, the Minister for Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forestry, Sea and Fisheries is asking Parques Reunidos, Marineland's owner, to ensure that the animals continue to be cared for pending a future solution. "At the same time, discussions have been held with the Italian, Greek and Spanish ministers to find a satisfactory solution that will ensure the animals' welfare. "Although no solution has yet been found, discussions with the Italian minister have shown that the Taranto sanctuary project has the support of the authorities and could be ready within a year." But TideBreakers say Wikie and Keijo might not have a year left if they stay in their unsafe and unsanitary tanks. Wikie turned 24 on June 2, marking nearly a quarter of a century living in captivity. She has already witnessed the death of her son Moana, who died in October 2023, and her brother Inouk who died last March after ingesting a piece of metal that had fallen loose into his tank. "Wikie has spent her entire life in the concrete tanks at Marineland Antibes," said TideBreakers. "Our wish for Wikie is to see her thrive in a clean, safe environment as soon as possible, where she can live a long life alongside her son, Keijo."
NDTV
24-05-2025
- General
- NDTV
Killer Whales Trapped In Abandoned French Marine Park 4 Months After Closure
It's been more than four months since Marineland, a marine park in southern France, announced its closure, but two killer whales and a dozen dolphins are still stranded there. TideBreakers, an animal advocacy group, recently released distressing aerial footage of orcas - Wikie, 23, and her son Keijo, 11 - swimming aimlessly in the abandoned Marineland Antibes near Cannes, France. Activists rushed to relocate the abandoned creatures after they were left in what they described as "dangerous" and "despairing" conditions, The Standard reported. "The mother and son are still trapped there, waiting for their fate in collapsing tanks," TideBreakers wrote, sharing the video on May 11. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TideBreakers (@wearetidebreakers) Approximately 45 kilometres west of Monaco on the French Riviera's southern coastal town of Antibes, the park houses 12 abandoned dolphins in the algae-infested, deteriorating tanks. According to Marketa Schusterova, co-founder of TideBreakers, the emergency in Marineland Antibes needs to be addressed globally. 'These are the last two remaining orcas in France in captivity and should be moved quickly,' Schusterova said, South West News Service reported. He added that the orcas must be taken out of conditions that endanger their health and well-being. Wikie and Keijo would not be able to survive in the wild because they were both born in confinement, he said. Marineland Antibes shut down on January 5 per the French 2021 law, which prohibited performances involving cetaceans, like dolphins and whales, to entertain the public. The two orcas and 12 dolphins were trapped in their kennels. Following the shutdown, the park administration has been frantically trying to locate the creatures, particularly the killer whales. Although it is no longer a zoo, the management of the facility is still responsible for the animals' welfare, and a small team is in charge of keeping them alive until they are placed in a new home. Despite the dire situation, French officials have rejected alternative proposals, such as a marine zoo in Japan, and have not yet found a suitable location for the orcas in Europe. A plea to move the whales to a sanctuary in Tenerife, Spain, was turned down because the facility currently houses four orcas, including a newborn, BBC reported. After rejecting a zoo in Japan, the Whale Sanctuary Project (WSP) in Nova Scotia is a possible destination for the mother-son duo. For now, a skeleton staff is feeding them, but critics caution that this provides little cerebral enrichment—an essential component for highly intelligent animals like orcas.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Video of orcas in algae-infested pool sparks concern for their fate
A video posted online of two orcas circling in an algae-infested pool in southern France has brought a fresh wave of worldwide concern for cetaceans, Wikie, 24, and her 11-year-old calf, Keijo. France has been struggling to find a new home for mother and son after their owner, a marine park on the French Riviera, closed down over a law banning shows featuring marine mammals. Founded in the city of Antibes in 1970, Marineland closed to the public in January following a drop in attendance and the 2021 law. In February, the park's management submitted a request to urgently transfer the two orcas, also known as killer whales, and 12 dolphins to two parks in Spain, but the move was blocked by Spanish authorities saying the facilities were adapted for them. "The situation at Marineland Antibes is an emergency," said Canada-based NGO TideBreakers in a social media post after publishing the video. "Leaving them in a shut-down facility, confined to a crumbling, decrepit tank, is simply not an option," it said. Should the two orcas fall ill, they "will likely be euthanized or succumb to the deteriorating environment," the group warned. The video, shot by drone early this month, shows the two orcas and dolphins in tanks, the edges of which are green with algae, amid installations previously used for other marine animals in brackish water. Contacted by AFP, the park management said that the orca and dolphin pools remained well-maintained and that about 50 employees were still working for the animals' well-being. The algae visible in the images were a normal phenomenon, it said, explaining that algae pores present in the filtered seawater that fills the pools develop each spring as the water warms up. They were not harmful to the animals and were regularly removed by brushing, management said. This explanation was backed up by Mike Riddell, who managed the park for 26 years before being dismissed in an ownership change in 2006. AFP pictures taken in May 2020 during a press visit showed similar fine algae covering the edges of the pool. But the TideBreakers footage prompted strong reactions, which, according to the park's management, even included death threats against staff. Officials said they share the NGO's concerns, but the park's attempts to find an emergency solution with the staff of France's environment minister, Agnes Pannier-Runacher, have come to nothing. Contacted by AFP, ministry officials said authorities were "ensuring that the animals continue to be housed under good conditions, pending their future destination," and that the park was seeking "alternative solutions" moving forward. "The only option left" Animal rights groups want the orcas to be rehomed in a whale sanctuary where they will have more space to swim and will not be forced to breed or perform in shows, the BBC previously reported. Lori Marino, president of the Whale Sanctuary Project, said their site in Nova Scotia is "the only option left," the BBC reported. Her group is bidding to rehome the orcas in the eastern Canadian province despite a previous offer being rejected by the French ministry for ecology earlier this year. A petition is urging the French government to send Wikie and Keijo to the coastal refuge in Nova Scotia, and last October, three environmental icons — Dr. Jane Goodall, Dr. Sylvia Earle, and Jean-Michel Cousteau — signed a letter recommending that the orcas be relocated to the sea sanctuary. Following the Spanish ban decision, Marineland had hoped to transfer the orcas to a park in Japan. But the move was blocked by the French government, which demanded a transfer to a European park with higher welfare standards. However, a solution involving the only such facility, in Tenerife, Spain, was vetoed last month by the Spanish government, which said the facilities there "did not meet the requirements," according to French officials. NGOs, including One Voice and Sea Shepherd, have requested permission to send specialists to Marineland to check on the orcas. Born in captivity, the two mammals are unable to survive alone. The longer-term solution, the French ministry and NGOs agree, should see the establishment of a marine sanctuary where orcas and dolphins could be cared for in semi-wild conditions. Such a solution would cost $2.2-3.3 million per year, according to Riddell. It is estimated that Wikie and Keijo still have decades to live, under adequate conditions. Raw Video: Mexican navy training ship hits Brooklyn Bridge Italy's Trulli: From Past to Present Judge weighing throwing out Sean "Diddy" Combs trial testimony
RTÉ News
19-05-2025
- General
- RTÉ News
Worry for orcas in French marine park spikes after video
A video posted online of two orcas circling in an algae-infested pool in southern France has brought a fresh wave of worldwide concern for cetaceans Wikie, 24, and her 11-year-old calf Keijo. France has been struggling to find a new home for mother and son after their owner, a marine park on the French Riviera, closed down over a law banning shows featuring marine mammals. Founded in the city of Antibes in 1970, Marineland closed to the public in January following a drop in attendance and the 2021 law. In February, the park's management submitted a request to urgently transfer the two orcas - also known as killer whales - and 12 dolphins to two parks in Spain, but the move was blocked by Spanish authorities saying the facilities were adapted for them. "The situation at Marineland Antibes is an emergency," said Canada-based NGO TideBreakers in a social media post after publishing the video. "Leaving them in a shut-down facility, confined to a crumbling, decrepit tank, is simply not an option," it said. Should the two orcas fall ill, they "will likely be euthanised or succumb to the deteriorating environment". The video, shot by drone early this month, shows the two orcas and dolphins in tanks the edges of which are green with algae, amid installations previously used for other marine animals in brackish water. Contacted by AFP, the park management said that the orca and dolphin pools remained well-maintained and that about 50 employees were still working for the animals' wellbeing. The algae visible in the images were a normal phenomenon, it said, explaining that algae pores present in the filtered seawater that fills the pools developed each spring as the water warms up. They were not harmful to the animals and were regularly removed by brushing, management said. 'Alternative solutions' This explanation was backed up by Mike Riddell, who managed the park for 26 years before being dismissed in an ownership change in 2006. AFP pictures taken in May 2020 during a press visit showed similar fine algae covering the edges of the the pool. But the TideBreakers footage prompted strong reactions which, according to the park's management, even included death threats against staff. Officials said they share the NGO's concerns, but the park's attempts to find an emergency solution together with the staff of France's environment minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher have come to nothing. Contacted by AFP, ministry officials said authorities were "ensuring that the animals continue to be housed under good conditions, pending their future destination", and that the park was seeking "alternative solutions" moving forward. Following the Spanish ban decision, Marineland had hoped to transfer the orcas to a park in Japan. But the move was blocked by the French government, which demanded a transfer to a European park with higher welfare standards. But a solution involving the only such facility, in Tenerife, Spain, was vetoed last month by the Spanish government which said the facilities there "did not meet the requirements", according to French officials. NGOs including One Voice and Sea Shepherd have requested permission to send specialists to Marineland to check on the orcas. Born in captivity, the two mammals are unable to survive alone. The longer term, the French ministry and NGOs agree, should see the establishment of a marine sanctuary where orcas and dolphins could be cared for in semi-wild conditions. Such a solution would cost €2 to €3 million per year, according to Riddell. It is estimated that Wikie and Keijo still have decades to live, under adequate conditions.
eNCA
17-05-2025
- General
- eNCA
Worry for orcas in French marine park spikes after video
A video posted online of two orcas circling in an algae-infested pool in southern France has brought a fresh wave of worldwide concern for cetaceans Wikie, 24, and her 11-year-old calf Keijo. France has been struggling to find a new home for mother and son after their owner, a marine park on the French Riviera, closed down over a law banning shows featuring marine mammals. Founded in the city of Antibes in 1970, Marineland closed to the public in January following a drop in attendance and the 2021 law. In February, the park's management submitted a request to urgently transfer the two orcas -- also known as killer whales -- and 12 dolphins to two parks in Spain, but the move was blocked by Spanish authorities saying the facilities were adapted for them. "The situation at Marineland Antibes is an emergency," said Canada-based NGO TideBreakers in a social media post after publishing the video. "Leaving them in a shut-down facility, confined to a crumbling, decrepit tank, is simply not an option," it said. Should the two orcas fall ill, they "will likely be euthanised or succumb to the deteriorating environment". AFP | VALERY HACHE The video, shot by drone early this month, shows the two orcas and dolphins in tanks the edges of which are green with algae, amid installations previously used for other marine animals in brackish water. Contacted by AFP, the park management said that the orca and dolphin pools remained well-maintained and that about 50 employees were still working for the animals' wellbeing. The algae visible in the images were a normal phenomenon, it said, explaining that algae pores present in the filtered seawater that fills the pools developed each spring as the water warms up. They were not harmful to the animals and were regularly removed by brushing, management said. - 'Alternative solutions' - This explanation was backed up by Mike Riddell, who managed the park for 26 years before being dismissed in an ownership change in 2006. AFP pictures taken in May 2020 during a press visit showed similar fine algae covering the edges of the the pool. But the TideBreakers footage prompted strong reactions which, according to the park's management, even included death threats against staff. Officials said they share the NGO's concerns, but the park's attempts to find an emergency solution together with the staff of France's environment minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher have come to nothing. Contacted by AFP, ministry officials said authorities were "ensuring that the animals continue to be housed under good conditions, pending their future destination", and that the park was seeking "alternative solutions" moving forward. Following the Spanish ban decision, Marineland had hoped to transfer the orcas to a park in Japan. But the move was blocked by the French government, which demanded a transfer to a European park with higher welfare standards. But a solution involving the only such facility, in Tenerife, Spain, was vetoed last month by the Spanish government which said the facilities there "did not meet the requirements", according to French officials. NGOs including One Voice and Sea Shepherd have requested permission to send specialists to Marineland to check on the orcas. Born in captivity, the two mammals are unable to survive alone. The longer term, the French ministry and NGOs agree, should see the establishment of a marine sanctuary where orcas and dolphins could be cared for in semi-wild conditions. Such a solution would cost two to three million euros ($2.2-3.3 million) per year, according to Riddell. It is estimated that Wikie and Keijo still have decades to live, under adequate conditions. By Fanny Carrier
