Dr. Shawn’s Blog

Killer Whale Kills Trainer at Sea World

February 25, 2010 on 12:35 pm | In General Posts | No Comments

As I’m sure all of you have heard, veteran Sea World trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed when a 12,000-lb. male orca “killer whale” grabbed her in front of an audience at the Orlando theme park.

The so-called pet experts and pet psychologist are now sharing their opinions with the media. We may never know exactly why this tragedy occurred.

Was the whale, a carnivorous killer by nature, trying to harm his beloved trainer?

Or was the whale simply trying to play with the trainer?

While facts are sketchy, the information I have heard does not indicate play behavior but rather indicates the typical behavior a killer whale would exhibit when seeking out prey to kill.

The surprising thing about this tragedy is that it hasn’t happened with any frequency before.

Despite their advanced training and “bonding” with their trainers, killer whales are wild animals. Trainers, wearing their wet suits, resemble the favorite prey of killer whales, seals.

It’s easy for audience members, and sometimes trainers, to forget that we’re dealing with wild animals that by their nature don’t typically associate with humans.

As a result, tragedies like this should not come as a surprise but rather as a reminder of the danger trainers face every day when working with the animals in their care. It’s also another reminder why most people should never own wild animals of any sort as pets.