ONE FEMALE IS EATING AT LAST. ANOTHER FEMALE IS STILL STARVING. THIS IS DAY 62 !!!
I have encouraging, but also, very disquieting news.
If the TAIJI FIVE are to have any chance at all of returning to the ocean and their family, they have to stay alive. Hence my great concern about establishing whether they are eating yet, and my hopes that the Japanese government would help clarify the situation. The government is trying to help, I think, though the information being provided is still not by direct and verified observation, and the aquariums are not answering all the questions being put to them.
On April 8, an official of the Fisheries Agency reported that:
Independent observers were able to confirm (on April 9th) that the female at Izu Mito Sea Paradise is accepting fish, and is allowing the aquarium staff to touch her. This is certainly GOOD NEWS, as it represents a definite improvement in her situation. She is, however, moving very little and generally appears lethargic.
So far, there is no independent confirmation regarding the female at the Taiji Whale Museum, or the female at Shirahama Adventure World. If the information about the female at Taiji is accurate, this is good news also.
However, I distrust the statements of the museum, and hope we can obtain confirmation about the situation there very soon.
THE INFORMATION FROM ADVENTURE WORLD IS VERY DISTURBING.
If the report is accurate, the female there is only eating 10kg of fish per day.
THIS IS DAY 62 SINCE THE CAPTURE!
I strongly suspect that the female at Adventure World is still resisting her captors, and is being force fed. Let me tell you what force feeding an orca means. It means that a rope or piece of wood is being forced between her jaws, and fish is being shoved down her throat. I'm told that Sea World's infamous orca captor Don Goldsbury used to force a piece of 2"x4" lumber between the jaws of resistant orcas so that he could force fish into them.
Something like that is probably what's happening to that poor female at Adventure World. The procedure probably begins with the orca being crowded into a corner of the tank with a net, or with the tank being drained, in order to restrict movement. Then, the application of force begins, until the whale's jaws are open wide. Then, fish are shovelled into her mouth and stuffed down her throat. Much of the fish is probably vomited immediately, but some of it stays down... 10kg a day, if we're to believe the report. No wonder, I suppose, that there continues to be such resistance to outside observation of what is happening.
I have very little doubt that the condition of that poor female at Adventure World is deteriorating rapidly. Even if she is consuming 10kg of fish daily, that amount of food is far below what her body needs. How much longer can she last?
I THINK SHE MAY BE STARVING TO DEATH.
AND, IF SHE IS PREGNANT, WHAT OF HER BABY?
I only wish that I am wrong about this, but I fear not. What is still needed, IMMEDIATELY, is independent observation and verification of condition of the female at Adventure World. One of the few things we can do right now is continue to ask the Fisheries Agency to ensure this is done IMMEDIATELY.
Here is the fax number for the director, Mr Michio Shimada:
Fax: 81 3 3502 0794
Ask him to determine what is happening to the female orca at Adventure World... BY DIRECT AND INDEPENDENT OBSERVATION.
Please fax or email a copy of your letter to Mark Berman.
Fax: 1 415 788 7324; Email: berman@eii.org
Please do it today!
All best wishes, and THANKS!
Paul.