|
野外的虎鯨可以活到80歲，豢養的虎鯨平均只活了5.2年
野外虎鯨照片 Paul Spong 攝
虎鯨有非常緊密的女族長制社會結構，數代終生在一起，棲息在超過800公里的海域，每天在30~80公里區域裡覓食。在溫哥華和華盛頓海域近30年密集的研究，每個個體的生活史、個性才開始為人所瞭解。科學家需要用文化、方言、儀式等詞句形容這些具豐富社會性，有認知能力的野生虎鯨。
Corky 1969年12月被帶離A5族群，她7次懷胎的寶寶不曾活過46天。雖然這個產業以豢養懷胎有50%的存活率為參考，但42次僅有15次(36%)存活。最早懷胎年齡僅有6歲，遠低於野外記錄的最早年齡。有些懷孕母鯨在不同設施間運送導致死亡，不到2歲的仔鯨也被帶離母親。Corky是存活最久的豢養虎鯨，也是野放的候選人。A23確認是她的母親，仍在溫哥華海域。產業界一直阻撓外界釋放任何一條虎鯨的努力，像Keiko(Free Willy)、Lolita、Bjossa，為什麼？
Yaka 1997年9月死了 鄭景元 攝
1964年以來，北美有56條虎鯨從華盛頓及哥倫比亞海域捕獲，包括一整個小群；目前只有2條仍活著，其平均的豢養年數只有5.2年。全世界約捕捉了至少135條虎鯨，目前有54條在不同地區的水族設施，往往同池的虎鯨，來自不同家族，甚至海域。有些連鎖經營的設施因管理或表演需要，往返運送這些動物，通常她們因不穩定的社會制度遭受極大壓力，甚至發生在野生族群不曾記錄到的互相攻擊事件。科學家才開始明瞭家庭成員被捕獲後對野生族群的影響，但娛樂產業對此遺留問題完全不理會。
夏天，Corky的媽媽帶著她的兄姐和之後生下的弟妹們在約翰史東峽灣覓食；三十年來Corky只能吃訓練人員餵的死魚。Corky的家人在充滿各種不同生物聲音，生意盎然的大海裏嬉遊，以每個家庭自成一格的音頻溝通，也用它辨別方位、尋找食物；Corky只能在永不休止的幫浦噪音、添加化學藥劑的小池子和來自不同海域、族群的虎鯨在一起，再也沒有機會使用自已的語言，快樂奔馳在大海中。Corky比其他被囚禁的虎鯨活得久，但沒有人知道她還能撐多久。她四歲就和母親分開，像走失的孩童一樣。唯一可以和家人團聚，安享天年的機會在每一個在乎這件事的人手裡。
英國的研究結論指出虎鯨的池子至少應有10公尺深，20,000立分公尺的海水，最多容納5條的虎鯨。每個水族設施都聲稱依照虎鯨的需求，但沒有一個合乎這個結論。
幾個大家可以進一步思考豢養的背後意義：
- 豢養不是完整的生命 —檢查這個錯覺
- 豢養的設施有其論點 —挑戰它
-
豢養展示些假象 —它如何影響你？
-
豢養是個生意 —瞭解其經濟面和身為 潛在消費者的能力
文字 CETACEAN SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL
鯨與地球基金會籌備處
圖片 GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL
ORCALAB
鯨與地球基金會籌備處
編註：本文為Corky為一隻被水族館所豢養的一隻虎鯨的名字．在電影威鯨闖天關的主角被成功送回海洋之後，Croky成為人們第二波努力的目標．
中英對照全文詳見：http://news.ngo.org.tw/issue/animal/
issue-animal000531.htm
|
|
Killer whales may live up to80 years in the wild.
They live an average of only 5.2years in captivity.
Paul Spong
Orcas in an intensely social animal, matriarchial family with several generations that will stay together for life. They forage 20~50 miles a day in a home range of over 500 miles. Much of each individual's life history and personality is known from two and a half decades of intense study. Scientists need words like culture, dialect, and ceremony to describe the rich social and cognitive
behaviours of these wild orcas.
Corky was taken from A5 pod, in December 1969. Of her 7 known pregnancies, no calf survived more than 46 days. Although the industry often uses a survivorship figure of 50% for captive births, only 17 of 47 (36%) known pregnancies have produced surviving offspring. Captive females have conceived at only six years old, significantly younger than the minimal age documented in the wild.
Pregnant orca are routinely transported between facilities. Calves younger than two years have been removed from their mothers. Corky may be the oldest captive orca, but many consider her a candidate for release. A23 is believed to be Corky's mother, and is still alive in the wild. The industry has fought all attempts to release any orca, like Keiko (Free Willy), Lolita, and Bjossa.
Yaka are now dead. photo by Eagle Cheng
Since 1964, about 56 orcas have been captured from Washington and British Columbia clans alone, including one whole pod. Only 2 still alive, living an average of only 5.2 years once in captivity. Worldwide, about 135 orcas have been taken for captivity and unknown numbers died during the process. 54 captivity orcas are often kept alone. If together they will probably be from different families, even different oceans, and combined or transported as directed by the needs of the show or management. They may suffer from the stress of unstable social hierarchies, and have occasionally injured and even killed each other and their trainers with aggressive
behaviour not documented in wild groups. Scientist are only just beginning to understand the impact on wild populations when individuals are removed. The industry has ignored what is has left behind.
A British study concluded that the minimal depth of an orca tank should be approximately 10 meters, with a necessary volume of 20,000m3 of water for up to 5 orcas. Every facility claims it is officially adequate, but none
meets the requirements of this study.
text CETACEAN SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL
WHALES & EARTH OFFICE
photo GREENPEACE INTERNATIONAL
ORCALAB
WHALES & EARTH OFFICE
2000.May
|
