An orca named Kiska, dubbed 'the loneliest whale in the world' has been filmed banging her head against the side of her enclosure at a marine park in Canada. As a forewarning, the video below is a little bit distressing.
Kiska has been referred to as the 'world's loneliest' killer whale because she's currently the only whale that is at MarineLand in Ontario.
The footage showing her in clear distress was captured by an anti-captivity activist called Phil Demers.
Demers actually used to work at the park, but has now clearly changed his mind on it, and is trying to raise awareness of the plight of captive sea mammals.
He tweeted out the footage with the caption: "This video was taken on Sept 4th, 2021. Anti-captivity activists entered MarineLand and observed Kiska, their last surviving orca bashing her head against the wall. Please watch and share. This cruelty must end. #FreeKiska."
He shared a second clip, adding: "Another angle. This is dangerous and self harming behaviour. Kiska is in distress."
Kiska, according to Mr Demers, is now 44-years-old, and has been living in captivity since she was captured in 1979 off the coast of Iceland.
She has been completely alone in her enclosure since 2011 after all of the other orcas in her tank died, including her five offspring.
Demers said: "I want to see Kiska taken to an interim facility with other orcas until the Whale Sanctuary Project (in Nova Scotia) is built.
"Visitors can support find the Whale Sanctuary as well as support animal abuse whistleblowers at The Whale Sanctuary Project."
Rob Lott, the end captivity campaigner for the Whale and Dolphin Conservation said that Kiska's behaviour is 'a direct, stress-related result of wild-caught Icelandic orca, Kiska being raised in an artificial, concrete environment for the last four decades'.
He told iNews: "Sadly, this isn't unique and the repetitive, self-inflicted behaviour shown by Kiska has been seen in other captive orcas where years of boredom in barren, featureless tanks with little or no stimulation manifests itself this way.
"Chronic stress can compromise captive orcas' immune systems and physiology causing illness and sometimes death.
"Kiska has been without an orca companion since 2011 and is deprived of every aspect of the social culture she would have experienced in the wild."
"Orcas, and indeed all whales and dolphins, are extremely poor candidates for life in captivity."
Mr Demers is raising money for efforts to help marine mammals, you can donate to the cause at this GoFundMe page.
Advert
LADbible has contacted MarineLand for a comment.
Featured Image Credit: Phil Demers/Twitter