FREE THE FRENCH ORCAS

There’s a very sad story out of France. The country’s last two captive orcas are stranded in an algae-infested pool in an abandoned marine park near Cannes. Marineland Antibes closed on Jan. 5, in line with France’s bans on dolphin and whale shows enacted in 2021, leaving the two orcas, Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old orca son, Keijo, trapped inside their pool along with 12 dolphins. Managers at the park are still legally responsible for the animals until they can be rehomed. Animal activists have circulated footage of the killer whales’ plight in the hopes that the French government will rehome them before it’s too late. Reportedly, French authorities are blocking efforts to transfer the animals to a marine zoo in Japan. And Spanish authorities rejected a proposal to move the animals to a marine park in Tenerife, claiming that the facility already has four orcas and doesn’t have enough space to house them in optimal conditions. The latest plan is rehomed to a sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada, where they can have more space to roam than the usual pool. Unfortunately, releasing Wikie and her son into the wild is not an option, as they were both born in captivity and therefore would likely not survive long.
* Come on, France. You transported Gerard Depardieu to a court to find him guilty of sexual assault. Use the same equipment to move these whales to safety!
* One of the problems, I hear, is that being French whale, they eat 300 pounds of liver pâté a day.
* I hope they’re keeping them active. Maybe give them a couple of luxury yachts to sink while they’re waiting.