Animal rights groups condemn orca’s 40 years in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium, leaving her unable to ‘carry out virtually any natural behaviors’
Reuters in Miami
Monday 20 July 2015 21.21 BSTLast modified on Monday 20 July 201521.49 BST
Animal rights groups seeking the release of Lolita, a killer whale in captivity since 1970, sued the Miami Seaquarium and its parent company Palace Entertainment on Monday saying her conditions violate the Endangered Species Act.
“For more than 40 years, Lolita has been unable to swim any meaningful distance, dive, forage, or carry out virtually any natural behaviors,” said the complaint, filed in the southern district of Florida by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta).
Activists have long bemoaned her tank, which measures 80ft (24 meters) long, 60ft (18 meters) wide and 20ft (6 meters) deep, as one of the smallest whale enclosures in the world. She has also been without another orca since 1980 when her tank mate, Hugo, died, the complaint added.
The federal government cleared a path for the lawsuit earlier this year after adding the 7,000lb orca to the endangered species list.
Lolita, who performs seven days a week, was captured in the summer of 1970 off the coast of Washington state when she was between three and six years old, according to court documents.
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