If you don't knock that off you'll end up like Roy Rogers' Trigger on display in a museum.
The tragic death of the female trainer at SeaWorld last week was horrifying to say the least. But was it unexpected? Not really. This particular killer whale already had an established history of injuring trainers. In fact, I watched one interview with an employee whose job it was to watch the animals at SeaWorld and enact emergency measures when things went wrong. Few jobs have a person like that on staff so you know its risky business.
Animals do and always will have unpredictable natures. Even domestic animals can become testy at times. I always try to keep extra alert when working around our horses and I’m not surprised when the cats or our new puppy snap for some unknown reason. People do so why shouldn’t animals?
What is predictable was the reaction from animal rights groups. “Free Willy” soon became a call heard across the airwaves regarding Shamu, aka “Tilly.”
Unfortunately you just can’t turn this animal loose since it has no natural skills to fend for itself. They did that with Willy and despite a great start Willy ended up dying in Norway. The costs alone to train an aquarium-raised killer whale to hunt are astronomical. Millions went toward Willy’s journey to the wild.
My view on the subject is that working with animals is a high-risk career, not unlike what farmers or miners experience in their jobs. You go into the job knowing that there’s always the chance something bad could happen, but with enough vigilance and common sense you can avoid a pitfall. Think about your job and the risks you take daily. It might just have you believing that being a trainer at SeaWorld isn’t risky at all.
Stay safe out there.
Mark Kayser
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