What happened to the orca Moana, who died “suddenly and unexpectedly” on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday at Marineland? The “early” death of the cetacean, a male born in the Antibes park twelve years ago, questions animal defenders, opposed to their captivity. They announce that they have taken legal action again.
“In the wild, a male orca has a life expectancy of up to 70 years. In Marineland, this new early death, and while Moana died at the age of 12 even though he benefited from medical care, regular food and an environment free from the dangers inherent in wild life, really raises questions,” says Christine Grandjean. The president of the association C’est Enssez! announcement to 20 minutes having launched an interim appeal to “order the prefecture to appoint an independent veterinary expert to attend the autopsy measurement”. A complaint was also filed for “acts of cruelty towards an animal held in captivity”, “abandonment” and “irregular exploitation”.
Results of a “post-mortem examination” expected
Accusations that the park management did not wish to comment on, limiting itself to the publication of a press release on its Facebook account. She explains that “a post-mortem examination was immediately carried out […] in collaboration with the competent authorities” and that “the first results will be known in the coming weeks”. Information eagerly awaited by associations.
The NGO One Voice also indicated that it was launching separate legal proceedings in which it “requests to receive the autopsy report” of Moana, whom it considers “an adolescent”. She also calls for “immediate access to [autres] orcas by specialists.” At the end of September, the association obtained from the Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal that Moana and Inouk, another of Marineland’s four orcas, also in “deleterious health”, be examined by an independent expert. “The pulp of Inouk’s teeth is raw from gnawing on the concrete of the pool” and “according to scientists, the pain is continuous,” supported One Voice, which is campaigning for the cetaceans from Marineland to be transferred to the sea, in a sanctuary.
Before the summer, the NGO assured that the Antibes zoo was, on the contrary, considering transferring them to another park in Japan, in anticipation of the application of the law of November 30, 2021 which will prohibit captivity in France from 2026. Asked by 20 minutesmanagement then acknowledged “studying several relocation possibilities” without however “confirming” or “refuting” One Voice’s thesis.