Thursday, February 25, 2010

Killer Whale Kills Trainer At Florida Seaworld

Killer Whale Indeed

A killer whale lived up to his name and reputation today, in the death of his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, 40. Tillikum the Killer Whale, killed a trainer and a park visitor in the past, yet was deemed safe for shows at Seaworld in Orlando, Florida. This decision cost Brancheau her life.

The whale most likely got tired of the show. There is a danger in taming wild animals, as they are instinctive, territorial and dislike being told what to do.

The Judiciary Report realizes trainers love their animals, but when one has such a distinct history for murder, the mammal should not be accessible to any human.

SeaWorld Trainer Killed By Whale ID'd

UPDATED: 7:13 pm EST February 24, 2010 - A sheriff's official said Dawn Brancheau, 40, was the trainer who was killed. Emergency personnel were called to the park just after 2 p.m. and found a person dead, according to Orange County Fire Rescue spokesman John Mulhall.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said deputies responded to the theme park after receiving a call that an employee had been attacked and injured in the "killer whale tank" in front of an audience.

Brancheau was a senior trainer at the theme park. She was pronounced dead at the park after being pulled from the tank, the sheriff's office said...

Witness Victoria Biniak said she saw the deadly incident from a viewing area.

"The trainer was explaining different things about the whale and then the trainer that was down there walked away from the window. Then Telly (the whale) took off really fast in the tank and he came back, shot up in the air, grabbed the trainer by the waist and started thrashing (her) around," Biniak said. "He was thrashing her around pretty good. It was violent."

Biniak said the attack was so violent that it caused the trainer's shoe to fly off...

http://www.clickorlando.com