Everyone loves Marineland? That famous jingle hasn’t been true for years — and even less so after a wave of disturbing headlines in recent days.
The now-shuttered theme park in Niagara Falls told the federal government it will have no choice but to euthanize 30 beluga whales unless Ottawa steps in with emergency funds to help pay for food and care.
Although the park's self-imposed deadline for funding — Oct. 7 — has come and gone, the whales have not been euthanized. But the mayor of Niagara Falls says the situation is growing more dire by the day.
In an interview with Radio-Canada, Jim Diodati said Marineland representatives told him they have restructured and borrowed money to continue to buy food for the belugas, dolphins, sea lions, seals, deer and bears — but it’s only a matter of time before the cash runs out.
“Unfortunately, they’re telling us they’re burning the furniture to heat the house,” Diodati said. “There’s no money.”
Will the province or feds step in with an 11th-hour solution? If not, would Marineland really destroy its belugas — the last remaining whales in captivity anywhere in Canada?
"I can't pretend to assume what Marineland would or wouldn't do," said Erin Ryan, the wildlife campaign manager at World Animal Protection, during a recent appearance on our Closer Look podcast. "It's certainly an option as private owners.
"We have been sounding the alarm for this for years, and it's not necessarily fair for Marineland to claim that their lack of planning is now either the province or the federal government's emergency," she continued. "It really is up to them. I believe the provincial and federal governments both have a role in leadership to play, but the responsibility for the fate of those animals, especially if it's a negative one, rests entirely on Marineland."
You can watch the full interview HERE.
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