Freedom ahead, sea in sight: Lolita the killer whale is set free
Skrevet af Katrine Ida Olsson, koordinator i 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, Lolita the killer whale - a surviving legend if you've been following the history of killer whales in the entertainment industry - is finally being released. She's coming home to the sea!
From orcas 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 made me take to the streets with flyers. There have been far too few victories despite the tenacious and generous efforts of many people for orcas in captivity, so Lolita's acquittal fills me with incredible joy and hope for both Lolita and the animal rights movement.
"A friend replied on one of these posts that it was really no worse for the few hundred whales than it was for the millions of pigs raised in Denmark. His comment was meant to make me relax. Fortunately, it had the opposite effect"
Før jeg lærte Dyrenes Alliance at kende, inspirerede spækhuggernes livshistorier mig til at lave flyers og uddele dem i Københavns lufthavn. Mit engagement i spækhuggere førte videoer fra Færøerne og grindejagt ind på mit Facebook feed og naturligvis chokerede det mig og resulterede i adskillige harmdirrende opslag. En ven svarede på et af disse opslag, at det i grunden ikke var værre for de par hundrede hvaler, end det var for de millioner af grise, der bliver opdrættet i Danmark. Hans kommentar var ment til at få mig til at slappe af. Heldigvis havde det den modsatte effekt, det åbnede mine øjne for dyr jeg sjældent skænkede en tanke og snart fandt jeg Dyrenes Alliance, hvor jeg for første gang i mit liv mødte andre mennesker, der var lige så optaget af dyrs ret til frihed som jeg selv.
Signs of progress in the animal rights movement
I am now filled with bubbling joy for Lolita and the fact that she helped get me involved in the movement and that progress is being made. Small progress, 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 relation to Lolita's release, there is a serious risk that she will die before they can get her and the new monkey ready. It will take 18-24 months, and she is, after all, 57 years old (wild female orcas usually live to be 50-80 years old, captive orcas are typically only in their 20s). It would be a strategic disaster for the release of other orcas if she dies along the way, but for Lolita's sake, I think it's the right thing to do. She deserves it, even if it's just one more day in the ocean.
Some will point out the many, many dollars it would cost. The money could save so many more animals with less complicated needs or by creating advertising campaigns to inspire people not to eat animals. That's true, that's 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 to 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 a single 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 releases one person, one animal, it creates a lot of debate and opens many 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 ways, have fought 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!
The post is an expression of the writer's own opinions.