Should Bindi Irwin Partner With SeaWorld US?

[icyfroth]

BINDI Irwin has been caught up in an animal welfare controversy in the US by partnering with marine theme park company SeaWorld.

The 15-year-old Queenslander outraged animal rights groups when she announced on the top-rated US morning TV talk show, Good Morning America, she would be working with SeaWorld to encourage “kids to change the world”.

The promotional opportunity comes as SeaWorld fights an image problem brought about by the award-winning film documentary Blackfish, which probed the treatment of killer whales at the company’s parks.

“The Irwin family has been exploiting animals for years, so it comes as no surprise that Bindi has agreed to become SeaWorld’s latest shill,” PETA senior vice president of communications Lisa Lange said.

“But plastering her face on SeaWorld’s website won’t cover up the fact that orcas, dolphins, and other animals are suffering in SeaWorld’s tiny tanks after being ripped from their families.”

Bindi, daughter of the late Steve “The Crocodile Hunter” Irwin, said she was “excited to be carrying on in Dad’s footsteps” and urged viewers to log into seaworldkids.com.

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I'm a bit torn on the subject. I'd like to see her be able to work in her field of knowledge and expertise, but I think Steve would not have liked her part of cruel animal exploitation. Isn't that kind of what zoos are about, though, including  Australia Zoo?

Also her paycheck would help boost the family income. I've heard  Australia Zoo is not doing so well.

[polksaladallie]

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@crystal-gems wrote:

Seaworld et al is no different from circuses usingg exotic performing animals, or Las Vegas nightclubs using exotic animals in  stage shows.  

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Unfortunately.

[azureline**]

with Steve as their dad, why would anyone think they were ever going to be less than what they are today?

[crystal-gems]

The USA abounds with rescue organisations specifically taking care of mistreated and/or  traumatised animsls from emtertainment venues, circuses and stage shows

[the_great_she_elephant]

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@*pepe wrote:

i fail to see how forcing animals to do unnatural tricks for people paying to be entertained is helping those in the wild.

not directed specifically at pimpy, just clicked reply on the last post... )

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I agree. You could say the same thing about circuses and they managed to ban animal acts from them. I'm pretty sure dolphins and orcas are right up there with lions or elephants when it comes to intelligence.

If you want to learn about dolphins do a dophin watching trip - we did one last week and it was amazing and cost a dam sight less than a trip to Seaworld. 

[cherry*135]

There would be limited or no rescue orgs that could accommodate sea animals, especially large ones. They wouldn't be involved in breeding programs for endangered species either. The cost of which would be prohibitive without huge funding and would need expert staff as well.

[cherry*135]

Las Vegas ..they stopped using lions in shows a couple of years ago.. I think one place still has dolphins though. 😞

2011
Come February, the out-of-work lions will return to The Cat House, an 8.5-acre ranch outside Las Vegas where they live with trainer and habitat designer Keith Evans. He cares for 40 lions that have appeared at the hotel at some point in their lives.

[vampire-teddy]

i think joining up with us seaworld completely contradicts everything steve irwin was about.  i think Bindi is an intelligent articulate young woman who could do a lot of good given the chance, if she is allowed to just be herself.  i don't think the right decisions are being made for her.  hopefully in time she will follow her father's true footsteps and not just make decisions based on money and publicity.

[lloydslights]

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@am*3 wrote:
Las Vegas ..they stopped using lions in shows a couple of years ago.. I think one place still has dolphins though. 😞

2011
Come February, the out-of-work lions will return to The Cat House, an 8.5-acre ranch outside Las Vegas where they live with trainer and habitat designer Keith Evans. He cares for 40 lions that have appeared at the hotel at some point in their lives.

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Acknowledging that that is 2011, 40 lions on 8.5 acres is cruel too.  

I can't remember his name, but one of the "entertainers" in Las Vegas was killed(?) by one of his white tigers.  Perhaps that was the beginning of the end for the "animal amusement", the death of a human!

DEB

[azureline**]

Do you mean Siegfried and Roy? He wasn't killed but I believe they no longer work with tigers and Roy had serious long lasting injuries.

Retiring big cats on farms is probably equally as bad.

[cherry*135]

Not addressed to anyone

I was replying to animals being used to entertain.
The resort was remodelled and they decided to do away with the lion enclosure.