Photo: ProWal (Bodrum-Güvercinlik dolphinarium)
For Freedom for Dolphins Platform’s Bodrum campaign and ProWal’s recent updates on the dolphinarium in Facebook, please click this link and see our previous official letters in Turkish, please click this one.
ProWal – press release: Scandal dolphinarium in Kas also cases animal suffering in Bodrum
Radolfzell/Kas/Bodrum – 30th of April 2012
The scandals and protests about Turkish dolphinariums not come to an end. Just during last weekend protest actions of Turkish and German animal rights groups and initiatives attracted a lot of attention in Kas. The animal activists demand the immediate closure of the dolphinarium in Kas, where four bottlenose dolphins are kept in a small wire cage. They were transferred from a dolphinarium near Bodrum to Kas in December 2011.
Photo: ProWal (Bodrum-Güvercinlik dolphinarium)
Now the German whale and dolphin protection organization ProWal discovered that a new dolphinarium was built in Bodrum. Andreas Morlok, CEO of ProWal is indignant: “The person who runs the dolphinarium in Kas is the same, who is running the dolphinarium in Bodrum. Because the mayor of Kas did nothing and tolerated that four partially injured dolphins could stay in the dolphinarium in Kas, the old dolphin pen in Güvercinlik near Bodrum was demolished and replaced by a new dolphinarium within only a few weeks. The facility is almost finished and only the roof to cover the about 300 seats for the audience is missing. Within a short time commercial sea mammal performances will be shown, for which purpose they bought new animals. Three wild captured dolphins come from the Ukraine, which probably were caught in the Black Sea or bought from Taiji in Japan. They normally live in social groups and have strong family bonds, but in Bodrum they are held separated from each other. Two adult dolphins are together and one young one is kept separately. It cannot swim to the others and is constantly circling around lonely in a very small place. Keeping a dolphin separated from others is a tragedy, it means suffering for the animals and for example would not be allowed in Germany. A walrus was newly added in Bodrum, which is caged in a very small metal pen. It has only a very tiny place to rest and just a small water hole to sit in. Who ever looks into its eyes will be moved to tears. There are also three sea lions now, which are locked up in an even smaller pen. They are only able to see in one direction, have no possibility to turn around and do not even have an opportunity to swim. This is inappropriate for the species or any other animal. This is the worst cruelty to animals! We are very outraged that this is tolerated in a country like Turkey, where there are so many dolphin friends.”
Photo: ProWal (Bodrum-Güvercinlik dolphinarium)
ProWal strongly criticizes the behavior and inactivity of the mayor and the vice-mayor of Kas. Andreas Morlok: “Last year we were assured, that the dolphinarium in Kas, which was closed till then, would never open again. This promise was broken. The city administration did not act when the four dolphins were transferred from Bodrum to Kas. Although it was well known that these dolphins were injured from hitting their heads against the wire frames and already had bloody snouts, no veterinarian was called to have a look at them. At a second meeting with the vice-mayor, he declared to be a big dolphin friend. Our question, if he had ever looked at those dolphins in the dolphinarium in Kas, was answered with a simple “no”. We did not meet anybody during last weekend in Kas who endorses dolphins in captivity. Only the two mayors of Kas hide behind lame excuses, although they should know, that an upcoming appeal to boycott tourism could cost them their seats. If the four bottlenose dolphins would not have been transferred from Bodrum to Kas, a new dolphinarium in Bodrum could not have been built and no new sea mammals would have been bought. Now there are suffering animals in Kas and in Bodrum, which is something we will certainly not tolerate.”
Photo: ProWal (Bodrum-Güvercinlik dolphinarium)
