Quote Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents View Post
This right here is what I was going to say. Orcas are on the very small list of animals which are self aware. They recognize their selves in a mirror, have problem solving intelligence and just operate on a higher level than other animals. Dolphins, chimps, gorillas, elephants, crows and horses have all been proven to be sentient animals on different levels. Most of these have the ability to feel almost every emotion that we do. They learn from experiences. They stress. They plan. They remember and can hold a grudge. Dolphins, elephants and the apes show affection for family members and have been shown to grieve the death of a family member.

Dolphins are also one of the few animals that have been proven to have sex just for fun (not just procreation) and they have been seen killing other dolphins in the ocean.

Imagine how bored they must become when they are in a small tank. I would think that anything that operates on much more than just wild instinct would go nuts over time being contained like that. I love my pets but there are some animals I just wouldnt want to keep in captivity. The sentient ones. Its no different from one of us being in prison. They just dont cope like other animals can.

I do hope the HSUS and other animals rights people dont try to attack the park for this but it should not have happened. The trainers can read those animals. I have seen shows and interviews where they say how they are able to easily read when one of the marine animals is acting differently. Stress, frustration etc.. Maybe they can even pick up on weather changes or other nature related things like some other animals can. Who knows. The one real fact is that Orca should not have been bothered when it was acting differently.
I'm sorry, but after working with horses for years, I find them to be rather unintelligent animals. Pigs are by FAR more intelligent.