More than five decades after her capture, the 5,000-pound killer whale known best by her stage name, Lolita, may finally be returned to her natural habitat in the coming years.
The orca, once a star performer while in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium, is now 57 and retired from exhibition shows as of last spring. Answering to growing pressure from animal rights activists who have long called for Lolita's release from the aquarium — where she is confined to a tank that reaches a maximum depth of about 20 feet — officials announced "historic" plans on Thursday to transfer the animal back to "home waters" in the Pacific Northwest.
50 years in captivity is a very long time and Orcas form pods early. Does she have the survival skills to be integrated back into the wild? Is this a new lease on life or a death sentence?
Share your thoughts with us!
Read the full article here CBS News.
Comments