BellaOnline Forums Hobbies and Crafts Birding On Killer Whale and Bird of Prey Shows

What do you think? Is it time to free these performers and send them back to nature if possible? Have you ever seen a bird of prey show? Any fond memories?

If the birds are injured and not able to be returned to the wild I see nothing wrong with them being part of a public demonstration - the more people that see wild animals the more they can associate with and care about them - this is the only way circumstances change for the better. Out of sight out of mind.

The killer whales etc - from what I understand the shows are supposed to take the place of their strong urge to socialize when in the wild. Of course the money they bring in with the shows helps fund their care and some marine biology research. These animals are so big however that I find it difficult to believe that they are okay with their confinement. Again if they have been injured and are unable to return to the wild I think there is worse ways for them to spend their days.

I am strongly opposed to animals in the circus because their lives are so unnatural and there is a great deal of proof of abuse used to make them perform. I have not heard of abuse with the whales or birds of prey and hope that this does not exist. If you know differently I would be interested in such.

and just as I finished typing the above post this came through on my facebook page

hsus.typepad.com/wayne/2010/03/tilikum-seaworld.html

I'd like to appologise in advance for the length of this reply :P

I think comparing bird of prey shows and marine shows is a little like comparing apples to... jumbo jets.

Raptors (birds of prey) have been kept in captivity, mostly for falconry, for hundreds of years. Their requirements are fairly easy to meet in most situations, and are generally well-known. As someone who works with captive birds of prey, I can assure you any good falconer or flight show trainer would quit before submitting any bird to unsafe, unsanitary or unhealthy situations, and take great pride in the health- both physical and mental- of the birds in their care.

In the past few years, outdated training methods have fallen somewhat out of favour. Many places are starting to use more ethical training methods, such as positive reinforcement, instead of the "old school" falconry training which could be very stressful on the birds.

Additionally, almost all show birds are captive-bred or imprinted, or are otherwise unreleaseable (exotic species, etc). Captive breeding has been a great boon to the bird of prey world; the only reason peregrines still exist in my part of the world is by captive breeding, rehabilitationa nd release programs- funded by bird of prey demonstrations or "shows". Many other not-for-profit organizations can thank flight demonstrations for their continued existence, particularly many wildlife rehabilitation centers and raptor conservation centers.

In contract, marine shows feature animals whose needs are almost (if not totally) impossible to meet properly in captivity. Additionally, many marine show animals are still wild caught. While marine trainers are one of the fore-running groups supporting the use of ethical training methods, the ethics of keeping such huge animals whose actual needs are not truly understood is somewhat... fuzzy, in my opinion. Additionally, most marine mammals rate much higher on the intelligence, activity and social scale then your average raptor; which mkes animals such as killer whales and dolphins much harder to keep "happy" in captivity. Additionally, I am unaware of any not-for-profit organization using marine shows to garner spport for rehabilitation or conservation. For more information on the aquisition of marine animals for "shows", I'd highly recommend the documentary "The Cove"- but only for those with a strong stomach.

Every bird of prey show I have seen was put on by rehabbers using birds that had been injured in the wild and healed but were unable to fly and hunt again. their handlers treated them with great care, and they served as ambassadors from the wild. Children especially are SO impressed at being up close to an owl or hawk, and learning about how they live, it is a valuable lesson in conservation.

Marine mammal shows are another thing entirely. I've seen a few, and the only one that didn't totally turn my stomach was at the Indianapolis zoo, where they had a really huge facility with three large interconnected pools containing about 5 harbor dolphins, fairly small animals with lots of room to race around in. The trainers were using positive methods and the dolphins seemed healthy and active. I've heard that intelligent animals enjoy having a "job" that they do well and are rewarded for, but I'll bet they would rather have a short and stressful life in the open ocean.

I just finished reading "An Eagle Named Freedom" by Jeff Guidry, a heartwarming story of a severely injured Bald Eagle who developed a close frendship with the author who worked with her throughout her healing and his recovery from cancer.
The true story gives a lot of information about bird of prey shows, their rationale and effect upon the birds. I had to conclude that Freedom was living a satisfied life in her sanctuary and giving every evidence of enjoying being brought to meet groups of children. She would have died in pain, but is now living and bringing a strong message of wildlife conservation to those who see her.