Last orca calf born in captivity at a SeaWorld park dies
SEAWORLD PARKS & ENTERTAINMENT VIA AP
Orca Takara helped guide her newborn, Kyara, to the water’s surface at SeaWorld San Antonio on April 19.
ORLANDO, Fla. >> The last killer whale born in captivity under SeaWorld’s former orca-breeding program has died at the company’s San Antonio park.
The Orlando-based company says 3-month-old Kyara died today. A SeaWorld news release says veterinarians were treating the calf for an infection last weekend, but Kyara’s health continued to decline.
The release says a veterinary team will conduct a postmortem examination to determine the cause of death. That could take weeks.
SeaWorld announced the end of its breeding program in March 2016 following years of pressure and animal rights protests. Kyara was born to 26-year-old Takara last April but was conceived before the program’s end was announced. Orca gestation can last up to 18 months.
SeaWorld has 22 orcas left in the U.S. The youngest, Amaya, was born in December 2014.
