A 4-year-old wild orca named Lolita was captured off the coast of Washington on August 8, 1970, and wrenched away from her family and ocean home.
She was taken to Miami and placed in the world’s tiniest orca tank on September 14, 1970, almost a month after her kidnapping.
Since then, Lolita has been held captive, and things have gotten much worse for her.
Lolita is said to be gravely ill, thus it’s more necessary than ever that she be relocated to a place where she can thrive blissfully, especially if she’s nearing the end of her life.
Lolita, like so many animals caught in the wild and forced into zoos and aquariums, has spent the vast majority of her life confined into a much smaller space than her natural ocean habitat.
Like other whales and dolphins, Lolita is extremely intelligent and social, but given her captivity, has only been able to interact with one other Orca.
This poor orca isn’t even able to find shelter from the scorching Florida sun. Her cramped tank is completely exposed with nowhere to hide.
She’s forced to float listlessly or swim in small, endless circles. These wild, majestic creatures should be free to swim hundreds of miles each day and dive thousands of feet below the surface in their native waters.
Just like humans, animals deserve to both live and die with dignity.
Sign this petition to demand that The Dolphin Company transport Lolita to a sea sanctuary while she is healthy enough to be transported!
This article by Hilly Woodbury was first published by OneGreenPlanet on 10 March 2022. Lead Image Source : Roka/shutterstock.
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