Marineland investigation makes a splash

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: ERIKA FAUST
Storybook Gardens was famous for its seals and other wildlife, but its only remaining seal is the bronze statue outside the gates.

The treatment and care of animals in zoos and aquariums has always been a concern of animal activists, but a Toronto Star investigation into the treatment of mammals at Marineland has brought these issues to the attention of the general public.

The Star's investigation involves eight former staff revealing that poor tank conditions and lack of care has led to the suffering of animals. The comments from the staff detail the marine mammals suffering from fur loss, skin damage and blindness. One trainer admitted that Larry, one of Marineland's seals, was taken out of the water for days or weeks at a time and put into a waterless pen. Larry's eyes are now red and swollen: he is blind. He is among six of the seven seals at Marineland who have lost their eyesight. The staff members blame poor water conditions and staffing shortages that make it difficult for them to provide proper care for these animals.

Larry was born and raised in London's Storybook Gardens.

Larry and harbour seal Baby were transferred to Marineland in 2005 because Storybook had seven seals at the time, which was capacity for their pool. According to Storybook Gardens manager John Riddell, "The seals were in excellent condition with no health concerns when they left Storybook."

Friends of Captive Animals (FOCA) member Vicki Van Linden had visited these pools several times. "There were seven seals in that pool, which was shocking, it looked like sardines in a can. These are large animals and there are no features that have anything to do with modern zoo design."

In 2008, the decision was made to transfer several of Storybook's other animals. Downscaling the zoo operation was part of a new business plan that was created in 2008. Between 2008 and 2011, over half of the zoo animals were transferred, leaving only the seals and four other wildlife exhibits, which were more difficult to transfer.

It was decided that this summer, four harbour seals from Storybook be transferred to a state of the art facility at the St. Louis Zoo. Riddell said that in collaboration with FOCA and Zoocheck, Storybook Gardens made the recommendation to city council to transfer the seals to St. Louis in order to provide them with the best possible living conditions.

According to Riddell, "The original plan was to keep the remaining animals until the end of their natural lives, but in 2011 Zoocheck stepped in to offer logistical support in planning and funding the transfers of the remaining wildlife animals." Unfortunately, only one of the four seals made it to St. Louis. The animals died while being transferred, and the cause of their death is still under debate. Distress was considered a major factor, but Zoocheck Canada said the seals died of overheating, not stress.

Prior to the transfer, FOCA conducted an observational study of the behaviour of the four Harbour seals: CriCri, Nunavut, Peanut and Atlantis. Van Linden was part of the investigation and said that, "What we observed taught us a lot about how a small pool with no natural features and no interesting activities provides a very poor quality life for intelligent, socially complex animals … The pool itself was an absolutely dreadful design and was way too small, it should never been used to house marine mammals." The seal pool was over 50 years old, built in 1958.

Riddell clarified, "The seals were healthy, but the pool itself was somewhat small and basic, it did not provide them with the best living conditions."

Cost became a big issue when it came to keeping the seals here; "The cost to upgrade the pool to current standards was deemed by city council to be out of reach financially, so we chose to transfer the seals to the brand new pool and facilities in St. Louis," Riddell said.

The question by many readers and activists is, can animals live happily in captivity?

Most animal activists will argue that no captive animal is treated properly. They also suggest large conservation areas that provide natural habitats for these animals. One issue is that there are no sanctuaries for marine mammals. Van Linden did have some suggestions for mitigating the suffering and creating the best possible experience for these animals.

She said she wishes that the tanks were more complex. "By complexity I mean not just a barren tank. They should have things that they can swim around, things that have some bit of difference and change, different places for them to rest."

She added that attention from trainers does help with their quality of life. "Working daily with trainers does mitigate some of that suffering. It's like if you're in prison but you have a craft or exercise program; you're still not free but you have something to look forward to, some stimulation."

Raising awareness is also essential when it comes to breaking down these issues and making a difference. As a result of the Toronto Star investigation, over 300 protesters paid a visit to Marineland's gates to stand up for the alleged suffering animals. What many animal activists and protesters are hoping for is a change in legislation, as they blame a lack of regulations in Canada for places like Marineland to continue to operate freely. "One of the issues is that we have extremely weak laws and virtually no federal laws to protect marine mammals," Van Linden said.

With the Toronto Star investigation making such a big splash, an investigation was conducted by The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and The Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums at Marineland. The OSPCA confirmed that "no major issues were found," but CAZA stated the investigation is ongoing.

One concern that Van Linden has along with Barry Kent MacKay, the Animal Alliance of Canada Director, is CAZA's ability to actually protect the animals. In a letter written to CAZA, MacKay said "I can't recall any zoo losing accreditation from CAZA."

Van Linden agreed; "I can't find a time it's ever happened, CAZA is in no way a zoo protection agency, you would call them a union for zookeepers. But, who does a union for zookeepers serve? Zookeepers! They serve the business interests of zoos."

For more information:

CAZA's involvement: tinyurl.com/marineanimalscaza2012

The Toronto Star Investigation: tinyurl.com/marineanimalstorstar2012

Sign the petition: tinyurl.com/marineanimals-petition2012