The subject of keeping animals in captivity is always a delicate one.
Some argue that those creatures on the brink of extinction will benefit from being in captivity in order to protect their species, while others point out that there are many more humane ways of protecting animals whilst allowing them to continue to live in their natural habitat.
Whatever your stance on animals in captivity, it’s never right to take advantage of these animals that you’re supposed to be caring for. Sadly, many animals in captivity are forced to perform long hours every day for entertainment, as well as taking part in vigorous training and spending their days in unsatisfactory living conditions. But thankfully, there are now organizations out there who work tirelessly to set these animals free, and this was the case with two beautiful beluga whales living in an aquarium in China.
These whales were forced to perform tirelessly every day, but British charity Sea Life Trust was about to change their lives for the better.
Little Grey and Little White are two beluga whales who were captured off the coast of Russia when they were still very young, and they were taken to the aquarium where they lived for almost ten miserable years. These whales don’t look like your typical whale and have very distinctive features. Leonie Sophia van den Hoek, who’s a marine biologist and scientific researcher, explains how you can identify one of these creatures.
“In my opinion, beluga whales are like the unicorns of whales because of their unusual and beautiful white color,” she told Bored Panda. “They also lack a dorsal fin which makes them even more unusual among cetaceans.”
Like all sea creatures, these whales travel far and wide every year, and living inside the four walls of a tiny tank would be extremely depressing for them. So when Beluga Whale Sanctuary heard about the two 12-year-old females who were in captivity, they jumped into action to rescue them.
They transported the whales to Klettsvik Bay, the world’s first open water sanctuary for belugas, where they will temporarily stay in a bayside care pool to acclimatize before being released into the wider sanctuary.
For anyone who doubts the importance of these rescue missions, just look how happy the two belugas are at the prospect of freedom once again!
“It’s been quite the journey for these two,” Audrey Padgett, the Beluga Whale Sanctuary’s general manager, told CNN on a video call. “It hasn’t been easy, but it’s definitely been a labor of love.”
Audrey goes on to add that the belugas’ new home is a much “larger, natural environment” with lots of potential benefits. What an improvement from the tiny, cramped aquarium.
As you can imagine, transporting the two whales to their new home wasn’t an easy task!
Whales of this size each weigh a little more than a ton (2,000 pounds) and consume around 55 pounds of fish per day, so moving them required specially designed equipment, veterinarians, and lots of water and ice to keep them cool.
Sadly, Little White and Little Grey’s case isn’t a rare one, as there are still more than 300 belugas in captivity around the world. But Audrey is confident that the team’s first rescue is a step in the right direction.
“Some belugas are in cramped and unsuitable conditions,” she said. “And if what we can learn here from Little White and Little Grey can help improve welfare for other animals … that’s really the point.”
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