Freedom ahead, sea in sight: Lolita the orca is set free
Written by Katrine Ida Olsson, Coordinator at Dyrenes Alliance Slagelse
You know those moments when the world stops for a moment? At first I couldn't believe my eyes and then I was filled with exuberant joy when I saw the headline that after 53 years, the orca Lolita - a surviving legend if you've been following the history of orcas in the entertainment industry - is finally being released. She's coming home to the sea!
From killer whales to all animals: everyone has the right to freedom
Personally, my first street activism was for orcas. Their tragic stories of being kidnapped from their mothers' side in the ocean, to imprisonment in sad, monotonous and often lonely concrete pools, was the very first thing that got me out on the streets with flyers. There have been far too few victories despite the tenacious and generous efforts of many people on behalf of captive orcas, so Lolita's acquittal fills me with tremendous joy and hope for both Lolita and the animal rights movement.
"A friend replied to one of these posts that it was no worse for the few hundred whales than it was for the millions of pigs that are farmed in Denmark. His comment was meant to put me at ease. Fortunately, it had the opposite effect"
Before I got to know Dyrenes Alliance the life stories of killer whales inspired me to make flyers and distribute them at Copenhagen Airport. My involvement with killer whales brought videos from the Faroe Islands and pilot whale hunting to my Facebook feed and naturally, it shocked me and resulted in several outraged posts. A friend replied to one of these posts that it was really no worse for the few hundred whales than it was for the millions of pigs that are farmed in Denmark. His comment was meant to make me relax. Fortunately, it had the opposite effect, it opened my eyes to animals I rarely thought about and soon I found Dyrenes Alliance, where for the first time in my life I met other people who were as concerned about animals' right to freedom as I was.
Signs of progress in the animal rights movement
I am now filled with bubbling joy on Lolita's behalf and the fact that she helped get me involved in the movement and that progress is being made. Small steps, but it's so incredibly important that we see them, the victories. It will be incredible for Lolita to experience the ocean again. And most likely, she will also be able to reconnect with her family, as they still come to Pudget Sound. I will let this thought fill me with energy for new activism.
However, in terms of Lolita's release, there is a serious risk that she will die before they can get her and the new seapen ready. It will take 18-24 months, and she is, after all, 57 years old (wild female killer whales tend to live 50-80 years, captive killer whales are typically only in their 20s). It would be a strategic disaster for the release of other orcas if she dies in the process, but for Lolita's sake, I think it's the right thing to do. She deserves it, even if it's just a single day in the ocean again.
Some will point out the many, many dollars it would cost. This money could save so many more animals with less complicated needs or by creating advertising campaigns to inspire people not to eat animals. This is true. But it's also a single millionaire who will fund most of Lolita's release, so it's not money that would necessarily go towards saving animals anyway. The fight for Lolita is a classic example of how it's easier to keep fighting and invest a lot in the fight if you're fighting for one person, someone you know, as opposed to a bunch of faceless people. So whatever, or rather whoever, it takes to get you into the fight, use it. Because even if this fight only frees one person, one animal, it creates a lot of debate and opens a lot of people's eyes to the mistreatment of other animals at the same time.
Lolita's victory shows that nothing is impossible as long as we don't give up
Lolita's liberation may not change the world, but it changes the world completely for Lolita. And with that thought, I raise my glass and toast Lolita's victory, which is also a victory for animal rights in general and for all the activists who, in their own way, have been fighting for years to achieve this. Thank you to the street protesters, online activists, lawyers, professionals, retailers and donors who have fought for freedom in their own way for so many years. Lolita's victory shows that nothing is impossible if we don't give up. The tide is turning, we are on our way!
This post is an expression of the writer's own opinions.