{"id":31249,"date":"2016-03-22T13:15:08","date_gmt":"2016-03-22T18:15:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/?p=31249"},"modified":"2016-03-22T13:16:44","modified_gmt":"2016-03-22T18:16:44","slug":"will-the-end-of-breeding-orcas-at-seaworld-change-much-for-animals-in-captivity-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/will-the-end-of-breeding-orcas-at-seaworld-change-much-for-animals-in-captivity-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Will the end of breeding orcas at SeaWorld change much for animals in captivity?"},"content":{"rendered":"

When SeaWorld announced it would stop breeding orcas<\/a> and begin to phase out \u201ctheatrical performances\u201d using the animals, the news appeared to mark a significant change in ideas about animals and captivity.<\/p>\n

Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and Joel Manby, CEO of SeaWorld, promoted their new partnership<\/a> in interviews. After a long history of mutual recrimination, the two organizations say they\u2019ll work together to provide needed support for wild marine creatures in distress and to improve the circumstances of currently captive orcas in the U.S. As SeaWorld\u2019s Manby put it:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s clear to me that society is shifting. People\u2019s view to have these beautiful, majestic animals under human care \u2013 people are more and more uncomfortable with that. And no matter what side you are on this issue, it\u2019s clear that that\u2019s shifting, and we need to shift with that.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

If there is indeed a shift going on, it seems to be more in the rhetoric of the animal exhibition industries than in public comfort (or discomfort) with seeing large animals in captivity.<\/p>\n

Changing with the times\u2026<\/h3>\n

For anyone interested in the history of exhibiting exotic animals, the news that people\u2019s expectations have changed and that zoological gardens, aquariums and circuses are responsive to those changes can\u2019t help but illicit a little cynicism.<\/p>\n

The SeaWorld\/HSUS announcement echoes news from last year that Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus decided to phase out elephant performances and retire the animals to a state-of-the-art sanctuary. In both cases, the companies were clearly facing growing public criticism damaging their bottom lines. They appear to have made business decisions to protect their brands and refocus the public\u2019s attention on what they describe as more critical core missions.<\/p>\n

At the same time, both announcements were framed as having resulted from the recognition that the times have changed \u2013 \u201cthat society is shifting\u201d \u2013 and that change is making circumstances better for animals in captivity. This claim reaches far beyond charismatic whales and elephants and is deployed for all kinds of new policies and exhibits.<\/p>\n