Biologist Idelisa Bonnelly de Calventi has asked the government not to grant permission to Manati Park in the Punta Cana area to open a dolphin pool. She is worried about the effects of captivity on the dolphins in the tourist park, where there have been reports of problems that she says could compromise the safety of tourists. She says training wild animals to interact with people puts them under stress and can lead to violent behavior on occasion.
“To separate a dolphin family group and put them into a tank of chlorinated water or small ponds where they swim in circles constantly, obeying the orders of a trainer in exchange for small dead fish to ease their hunger is a form of mistreatment,” she says. At Manati Park, she says some dolphins have already died and only five of the original eight dolphins remain.
Listin Diario reports that in Australia and various countries in Europe there is a campaign to encourage consumers not to buy tickets to dolphin shows and to demand the closure of aquariums that offer such shows. (10 October 2001)
