SeaWorld Says Tilikum's Health 'Deteriorating' Due to Lung Infection

[Teebin]

Sea World says on its Animal Training page that an Animal Trainer must have:: "Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred in psychology..."

Is that human psychology or orca psychology?

 

[alomar]

Everyone was pretty sure an orca wouldn't kill a trainer too.

The nickname for Orca's is "Killer whale"......im pretty sure there isn't an asterisk that says "except trainers". If anyone thought a killer whale would never kill a trainer.....I want what they are smoking.

 

[Donald Razorduck]

The nickname for Orca's is "Killer whale"......im pretty sure there isn't an asterisk that says "except trainers". If anyone thought a killer whale would never kill a trainer.....I want what they are smoking.

I' lve said this before, my.Dad was a crop duster. One of the most dangerous jobs there is. I.sat and watched him crash while landing due to a wind sheer one day. Landed upside down. If he was flying an AgCat and not an Air Tractor so the upper wing saved him and he walked away. Two days later a fellow crop duster up the road had the same thing happen and he was in a single wing Air Tractor and died.

Point is, folks choose prefessions. They were not coerced by gun point. It up to them to decide what their risk/reward factor is. My Dad wanted to make 6 figures in less than a half year so he could spend days upon days fishing and guided on the Mississippi and shown Bill Dance when it came to catfishing. And.....he did, all the time.

 

[IzzyB]

I' lve said this before, my.Dad was a crop duster. One of the most dangerous jobs there is. I.sat and watched him crash while landing due to a wind sheer one day. Landed upside down. If he was flying an AgCat and not an Air Tractor so the upper wing saved him and he walked away. Two days later a fellow crop duster up the road had the same thing happen and he was in a single wing Air Tractor and died.

Point is, folks choose prefessions. They were not coerced by gun point. It up to them to decide what their risk/reward factor is. My Dad wanted to make 6 figures in less than a half year so he could spend days upon days fishing and guided on the Mississippi and shown Bill Dance when it came to catfishing. And.....he did, all the time.

Agreed. It is very telling that the family never blamed Sea World. They have said she knew the risks and she died doing something she loved. If she ever thought Sea World was doing something wrong or she ever thought she didn't want to take the risk and Sea World forced her too, her family would have known. They would have gone after Sea World with everything they had. But they didn't. Because they knew that wasn't the case.

 

[epcyclopedia]

I love the hypocrisy in talking about stretched truths and then saying Seaworld trainers need degrees.. - that's not what the word preferred means btw - and then "oh it's psychology.." and wait, since when is marine mammal psychology taught as part of a typical psychology degree?

And oh look, "drama."

They're actors. Hired on looks and stage presence. They have no animal care skills prior to starting the job.

And OSHA fined SeaWorld for their practices because they were not reasonably safe. Inlcuding admonishing them for misleading the trainers in regards to their safety with the animals.

 

[Stitch_101]

I love the hypocrisy in talking about stretched truths and then saying Seaworld trainers need degrees.. - that's not what the word preferred means btw - and then "oh it's psychology.." and wait, since when is marine mammal psychology taught as part of a typical psychology degree?

And oh look, "drama."

They're actors. Hired on looks and stage presence. They have no animal care skills prior to starting the job.

And OSHA fined SeaWorld for their practices because they were not reasonably safe. Inlcuding admonishing them for misleading the trainers in regards to their safety with the animals.

We get it, you don't like SeaWorld. And yes, you ARE stretching the truth. The purpose they put "preferred" is because not all their Animal Trainer positions are the same. In fact, for a long time SeaWorld had horses on hand at some parks (not sure if they still do) and then it is reasonable that they hire experienced horse handlers that may not have BA's. This is exactly what we are all talking about when we are saying that you are stretching and flipping facts for your own agenda. Please, prove to me that their handlers all have zero animal experience before hiring (I'm guessing you can't, or you would have already) besides your addement insistance that they don't and only then might any of us start to take you seriously on this thread.

Oh, and about your 'psychology degree' comment... If you had taken even 2 minutes to actually Google it before you shoved your foot in your mouth, you would know that *gasp!* there are BA and PHD programs specifically for animal psychology! Imagine that!

 

[IzzyB]

We get it, you don't like SeaWorld. And yes, you ARE stretching the truth. The purpose they put "preferred" is because not all their Animal Trainer positions are the same. In fact, for a long time SeaWorld had horses on hand at some parks (not sure if they still do) and then it is reasonable that they hire experienced horse handlers that may not have BA's. This is exactly what we are all talking about when we are saying that you are stretching and flipping facts for your own agenda. Please, prove to me that their handlers all have zero animal experience before hiring (I'm guessing you can't, or you would have already) besides your addement insistance that they don't and only then might any of us start to take you seriously on this thread.

Oh, and about your 'psychology degree' comment... If you had taken even 2 minutes to actually Google it before you shoved your foot in your mouth, you would know that *gasp!* there are BA and PHD programs specifically for animal psychology! Imagine that!

They no longer have horses. However, they do have dogs, cats, etc. Which are all household animals that would not require a BA to train. There is also a difference between a handler and staff. For example, they have animal ambassadors that go around the park with certain animals. Some of the animals are birds and others are more difficult animals. So you see someone that their sole job is to handle a bird, but then behind the scenes they are medically treated and reviewed by staff who of course have the degrees. I see nothing wrong if Sea World has a non-degree person handling a bird that again are household pets. Not all employees are created equal and shouldn't be. I think it would be ridiculous if Sea World required all trainers no matter what animal they work with have a 4 year or more degree. Because I highly doubt a person who has a 4 year degree in biology is going to want to train a dog to roll over lol

 

[shiekra38]

They no longer have horses. However, they do have dogs, cats, etc. Which are all household animals that would not require a BA to train. There is also a difference between a handler and staff. For example, they have animal ambassadors that go around the park with certain animals. Some of the animals are birds and others are more difficult animals. So you see someone that their sole job is to handle a bird, but then behind the scenes they are medically treated and reviewed by staff who of course have the degrees. I see nothing wrong if Sea World has a non-degree person handling a bird that again are household pets. Not all employees are created equal and shouldn't be. I think it would be ridiculous if Sea World required all trainers no matter what animal they work with have a 4 year or more degree. Because I highly doubt a person who has a 4 year degree in biology is going to want to train a dog to roll over lol

No no, you don't understand...this isn't the case..it's not like say, Epcot..

 

[GadgetGuru]

It's really interesting that SeaWorld's publicity problems haven't haunted Animal Kingdom at all. It's a slightly different situation (a whale in captivity sounds a lot worse than a free range for an animal), but AK still has animals in captivity.

Anyways, you can't help but feel bad for Seaworld and Tilikum. Seaworld just cannot seem to catch a break. In my eyes, Seaworld has played (and can play) an incredibly important part in the Orlando market. In many ways, they're a test bed for Disney + Universal. The original park proved that AK could be viable for Disney. Aquatica proved that Volcano Bay could be feasible. Discovery Cove is years, if not decades, ahead of its time and I think both Disney and Universal will try to copy it.

 

[IzzyB]

It's really interesting that SeaWorld's publicity problems haven't haunted Animal Kingdom at all. It's a slightly different situation (a whale in captivity sounds a lot worse than a free range for an animal), but AK still has animals in captivity.

Anyways, you can't help but feel bad for Seaworld and Tilikum. Seaworld just cannot seem to catch a break. In my eyes, Seaworld has played (and can play) an incredibly important part in the Orlando market. In many ways, they're a test bed for Disney + Universal. The original park proved that AK could be viable for Disney. Aquatica proved that Volcano Bay could be feasible. Discovery Cove is years, if not decades, ahead of its time and I think both Disney and Universal will try to copy it.

Agreed, you would think AK would get some backlash. I went on Rafiki and the night time areas for those animals really seemed small in my mind. I just assumed they stayed in their normal areas and had back stage area when they didn't want to be out in the public eye. I never realized the animals have back cages they stay in at night.

That is my beef with Sea World haters, if you hate Sea World you should hate all zoos and animal parks. They all do the same thing, make money off of the visitors viewing animals. If you don't hate them all, then get off the Sea World is evil train. If you hate all of them, that is your right. But you won't change my mind. I feel more good comes from these things than bad. But I also have the right to that opinion.

 

[Disneyhead]

Epcyclopedia is very passionate but midbogglingly ill informed about this topic. And flat out wrong in his comparison's to Seas at Epcot.

 

[UNIrd]

I remember Disney getting some bad PR when Animal Kingdom was opening and there were a few animal deaths. But I also remember DAK having a larger focus on it's Conservation Fund. You couldn't buy a meal at a counter service without being asked if you wanted to donate. Do they still do this anywhere?

I know SeaWorld has a great store that actually updates it's proceeds to its conservation fund from purchases live on a projection behind the register. It makes you want to buy things just to donate and see/hear the effects.

 

[Teebin]

I remember Disney getting some bad PR when Animal Kingdom was opening and there were a few animal deaths.

Yeah, and it kept happening over and over again. I remember that in one instance, a giraffe was struck by lightning because there weren't enough tall trees in the vicinity.

 

[Scott W.]

It's really interesting that SeaWorld's publicity problems haven't haunted Animal Kingdom at all. It's a slightly different situation (a whale in captivity sounds a lot worse than a free range for an animal), but AK still has animals in captivity.

Anyways, you can't help but feel bad for Seaworld and Tilikum. Seaworld just cannot seem to catch a break. In my eyes, Seaworld has played (and can play) an incredibly important part in the Orlando market. In many ways, they're a test bed for Disney + Universal. The original park proved that AK could be viable for Disney. Aquatica proved that Volcano Bay could be feasible. Discovery Cove is years, if not decades, ahead of its time and I think both Disney and Universal will try to copy it.

What kind of blows my mind is that people seem to have a bigger problem with orcas at SeaWorld than dolphins. I'd consider dolphins to be more intelligent, cuter and more expressive. I'd also consider the documentary The Cove one of the worst things I have ever seen but hey ho.

 

[Teebin]

What kind of blows my mind is that people seem to have a bigger problem with orcas at SeaWorld than dolphins. I'd consider dolphins to be more intelligent, cuter and more expressive. I'd also consider the documentary The Cove one of the worst things I have ever seen but hey ho.

Yeah, I am on the fence with dolphins partly because SW is able to give them a large space to build up speed etc. Less confining.

 

[IzzyB]

Yeah, I am on the fence with dolphins partly because SW is able to give them a large space to build up speed etc. Less confining.

But other places don't have this space. Disney Epcot Seas tank while large has dividers keeping the different fish/animals separated. While the tanks are very deep, they are not very wide.

 

[Teebin]

I never realized the animals have back cages they stay in at night.

I am really shocked that you did not know this. You should get a used copy of the Making of Animal Kindom on Amazon. It was written by Joe Rhode's wife and published by Disney. It is relatively candid when compared to Disney's other publications. It has great pictures of it's creation and interesting anecdotes.

Trust me that some of the animals want to leave the stage and get back to their cages soooooo bad. The male gorillas and tigers come to mind. I have seen the males being taunted by young teens. They have special sounds for each animal to call them back upon closing. I think it gives many of the animals a sense of security.

 

[IzzyB]

I am really shocked that you did not know this. You should get a used copy of the Making of Animal Kindom on Amazon. It was written by Joe Rhode's wife and published by Disney. It is relatively candid when compared to Disney's other publications. It has great pictures of it's creation and interesting anecdotes.

Trust me that some of the animals want to leave the stage and get back to their cages soooooo bad. The male gorillas and tigers come to mind. I have seen the males being taunted by young teens. They have special sounds for each animal to call them back upon closing. I think it gives many of the animals a sense of security.

We did Rafiki maybe once or twice. I probably wasn't paying attention. Honestly I know very little about the making of Disney or any of their parks. I moved down here 10 years ago, so I was never into the history of parks down here lol

 

[Mad Dog]

We did Rafiki maybe once or twice. I probably wasn't paying attention. Honestly I know very little about the making of Disney or any of their parks. I moved down here 10 years ago, so I was never into the history of parks down here lol

Rafiki is so boring. I've gone back there three times, but primarily to ride the train and look at that backstage cage area you all (you all is "younse" in pittsburghese for any outsiders) have been talking about. What a waste for such a large section of the park.

 

[IzzyB]

Rafiki is so boring. I've gone back there three times, but primarily to ride the train and look at that backstage cage area you all (you all is "younse" in pittsburghese for any outsiders) have been talking about. What a waste for such a large section of the park.

Agreed. The only reason I did it last time is they put the last stop for the Lion Guard thing at Rafiki