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Mother and Daughter Die at Vancouver Aquarium

Mother and Daughter Die at Vancouver Aquarium

MOTHER AND DAUGHTER DIE AT VANCOUVER AQUARIUM

More Misery at Second Worst Aquarium in Canada

CONTACT: Fleur Dawes, fleur@idausa.org, +44 (0) 751-582-1141; Toni Frohoff, Ph.D., toni@idausa.org, (805) 836-0496

IMAGES: http://bit.ly/DeadBelugasVA

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/4C2NcMyJIms (all calves and mothers since dead)

Vancouver, Canada (November 26, 2016) – Aurora, 29, witnessed the death of her daughter, Qila, 21, at Vancouver Aquarium on November 16, and now she too has died, seemingly from the same as-yet-unknown cause. Beluga whale Aurora suffered cramping, nausea, and listlessness just as her daughter did prior to her death. In Defense of Animals shamed the aquarium as second worst in Canada earlier this year, and is now calling for an upcoming expansion to the beluga tank to be halted, and the cetacean exhibits to be shut down instead.

“Aurora and Qilas’ horrific deaths should be a wake-up call for Vancouver,” said In Defense of Animals cetacean scientist, Dr. Toni Frohoff. “Even the most modern technology, veterinary care, and infrastructure could not help Aurora, Qila or the many other belugas who have suffered and died in captivity. It’s time to stop exploiting these intelligent and sensitive animals, and close Vancouver’s dying pools for good.”

During her life at Vancouver Aquarium, Aurora was repeatedly exploited to breed baby belugas, and suffered the death of all three of her calves. Qila was Aurora’s third calf, who survived 21 miserable years in captivity. Her other calves died young  at the ages one and three. Daughter Qila gave birth to one calf in 2008, but she died at just three years old.

Vancouver Aquarium “owns” five remaining belugas who are on loan to SeaWorld for often invasive forced breeding.

These latest deaths have prompted a former Vancouver Aquarium employee who is now Chair of the Vancouver Parks Board to propose a 2018 referendum on whether to allow future live beluga exhibits in Vancouver Aquarium that could halt upcoming construction in the beluga exhibit planned for early 2017.

High mortality rates of captive beluga whales is sadly common in aquariums, leading some to attempt controversial live-captures from the wild. Recently, Georgia Aquarium and other businesses tried to import eighteen wild-caught belugas from Russia’s Far East. The attempt was thankfully blocked by the U.S. government owing to negative impacts on the wild population.

In July 2016, Vancouver Aquarium was shamed as the second worst aquarium in Canada, on In Defense of Animals’ Ten Worst Tanks for Whales and Dolphins list: www.idausa.org/10WorstTanks

### NOTES ###

Aurora’s death announcement by Vancouver Aquarium:

https://www.facebook.com/vanaqua/photos/a.488362465799.267595.7881420799/10153923710255800/?type=3&theater

Deaths of beluga whale calves at Vancouver Aquarium:

“Aurora’s second calf Tuvaq, a male, was born in 2002 and died in 2005. Her third calf, a female named Nala, was born in 2009 but died a year later from an apparent infection. Qila became a mother in June 2008 when she gave birth to a female calf named Tiqa, who died three years later of pneumonia.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/qila-the-beluga-dies-at-vancouver-aquarium-1.3853742

Parks Board’s proposed referendum on dolphin and whale captivity: http://www.straight.com/news/832156/park-board-chair-suggests-city-hold-public-vote-whale-and-dolphin-captivity-vancouver

### ENDS ###

In Defense of Animals spearheads the campaign to free cetaceans from captivity, and earlier this year launched In Defense of Animals list of the 10 Worst Tanks for dolphins and whales. http://www.idausa.org/10worsttanks

In Defense of Animals is an international animal protection organization with over 250,000 supporters and a 30-year history of protecting animals’ rights, welfare and habitats through education, campaigns and hands on rescue facilities in India, Africa, and rural Mississippi. www.idausa.org

IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS • 3010 KERNER BLVD. • SAN RAFAEL, CA 94901 • 415-448-0048

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