Killing Keiko Read Online Free

beginning to understand the extraordinary learning ability of
     the bottlenose dolphin when this mysterious and beautiful cousin took center stage,
     filling our hearts and exciting our minds. The striking and bold coloration of the
     killer whale became its trademark. Crisp mirrorlike black contrasted by the milky-white
     underside made it appear as living, breathing art. Likewise, the distinguishing combination
     of strength, beauty and social complexity appealed to a wide audience. The top predator
     of the ocean was supreme in disposition, mysteriously elusive atsea and the top of its class in the animal training environment. For most, it took
     little effort to fall in love with or be awestruck by
Orcinus orca.
    In the late ‘60s renewed interest in migration routes, populations and social behavior
     led various individuals and organizations to study killer whales in the wild. In efforts
     to collect data, many researchers devoted their lives to the task, spending tiresome
     hours onboard research vessels with few accommodations. Every aspect of the killer
     whale was an exercise in stretching the imagination. What had been recently believed
     to be a ferocious man-eating killer was now the focus of unlimited study and public
     interest. At the same time, knowledge of whales was growing in leaps and bounds due
     to the relative ease with which researchers could observe the whale’s behavior beneath
     the water’s surface in zoological settings. Trainers and caretakers gained an unequaled
     respect for the killer whale’s aptitude. Many of today’s advancements in behavioral
     conditioning and the application of positive reinforcement techniques in the animal
     training field were originally implemented and streamlined through work with the ocean’s
     top predator.
Keiko’s Collection
    According to the “Reintroduction Protocols,” the formal document submitted to the
     Icelandic government from which Keiko’s release permit was granted:
    The killer whale (
Orcinus orca)
“Keiko” was captured off the coast of Iceland in 1978 at the estimated age of two
     years. Following two years at a temporary housing facility in Iceland, Keiko was transported
     to Niagara Falls Aquarium and maintained there for a period of six years. In 1986
     the subject was transported to Reino Aventura Amusement Park in Mexico City, Mexico.
     While maintained in Mexico City, the subject’s health progressively deteriorated due
     to inadequate environmental conditions.
    Immediately following collection, Keiko was taken to a coastal sea pen-type facility
     in Iceland. He was maintained there for an extended period of time, as was common
     for newly placed animalsthat would eventually go to permanent facilities. This period of acclimation ensured
     that individual animals were healthy, eating, and had successfully adapted to the
     initial change.
    The first move from Reykjavik, Iceland, to their new home was the toughest transition
     for the whales. It involved yet another change of environment or acclimation period
     for the whales, this time with a completely unfamiliar social group.
    During Keiko’s almost six years in Marineland, Niagara, he was socially ostracized,
     physically displaced (picked on) and constituted the bottom of the hierarchy within
     his new social group. There were an estimated six killer whales in total at Marineland
     during Keiko’s stay in Canada.
    After being sold and moved to Reino Aventura Park in Mexico, he developed a skin disease
     called cutaneous papillomatosis caused by a novel papillomavirus and associated with
     immune suppression (which is a potentially contagious disease to other whales). The
     condition formed an unsightly cauliflower-like growth of the skin where affected.
     Keiko quickly gained a stigma as the ugly duckling among those who cared for him.
     Even so, he was the marquee attraction at Reino Aventura for nearly eight years before
     achieving Hollywood stardom.
Free Willy
    In 1993