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Published: 12/20/10

Death at SeaWorld: Where Is Tilikum, the Whale Who Killed His Trainer?

By  Donna Trussell - Politics Daily
Death at SeaWorld: Where Is Tilikum, the Whale Who Killed His Trainer?

Dawn Brancheau, the SeaWorld performer who died last February, had not crossed my mind in months. But last night I saw some year-end stories on 2010 newsmakers and what they were doing with their 16th minute of fame. One was Isaiah Mustafa, who found fame and fortune on a Super Bowl commercial for Old Spice. Another was Antoine Dodson, who scared away a would-be rapist from his sister's bedroom and whose comments to a news crew led to the "Bed Intruder Song." Tilikum, the killer whale, became a household name on Feb. 24, after he turned on his trainer Dawn Brancheau. When I first saw her ...

Published: 02/27/10

A Death at Sea World, and What It Means

By  Donna Trussell - Politics Daily
A Death at Sea World, and What It Means

I remember Sea World trainer Dawn Brancheau. Years ago I saw her perform with the killer whales she loved. On Wednesday one of them, a large male named Tilikum, killed her. A seven-minute tourist video shows Brancheau interacting with the whale up until just seconds before the attack. An autopsy revealed Brancheau died from multiple traumatic injuries and drowning. When I heard the trainer had wanted to work with Shamu since her first trip to Sea World at the age of 9, I realized I'd heard that story before. Brancheau was the woman I'd made my way downstage to see after the show. ...

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Published: 02/25/10

Opinion: SeaWorld Death Sparks Orca-Sized Debate

By  not in system - AOL News
Opinion: SeaWorld Death Sparks Orca-Sized Debate

(Feb. 25) -- The death of a SeaWorld trainer by a killer whale has sparked a debate not only about what do with Tilikum, but about captive whales generally -- with most weighing in in favor of freedom. A BBC dispatch, for example, quotes two experts arguing for freedom: "They are highly social animals that tend to live in cohesive groups, so it's quite an artificial environment to capture them and put them in a small area," says Dr. Andrew Foote, an expert on wild orcas from the University of Aberdeen, U.K. "The tragic events are a reminder that orcas are wild, strong and often ...

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