Orca Keto has died at Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain. The park announced his death on Friday, sharing that he had been “very unwell” for several weeks. The orca died without ever knowing freedom.
Keto, a 29-year-old male orca, had spent the last 18 years of his life performing in shows at Loro Parque. The park also used him for breeding.
In 1995, the orca was born in captivity at SeaWorld Orlando in the United States (US). SeaWorld moved Keto around several times in the US, before sending him to Spain.
He was first moved to SeaWorld San Diego, then to Ohio, and later to San Antonio, Texas. In 2006, SeaWorld send him to Loro Parque. There, he continued performing in daily shows and trained to do tricks and stunts for cheering crowds.
The orca was forced to jump, beach himself on a concrete platform or splash water on the audience. His spend his whole life in a small tank.
The animal park in Spain presented orca Keto as an ambassador for his species, though he never experienced the ocean or anything resembling his natural habitat.
Loro Parque conditions
Orcas are highly intelligent, social animals that are genetically built to live, migrate, and feed over great distances in the ocean. They cannot thrive in captivity, marine mammal scientist Naomi Rose said. In the wild, they like to swim huge distances and deep dive.
The conditions at Loro Parque led to boredom and stress, and Keto, like many other captive orcas, showed signs of stress. His teeth were worn from chewing on the sides of his tank, and he suffered from irritation to his eyes caused by the chemicals in the pool.
His life was filled with challenges and frustration, leading to aggressive behavior. In 2009, Keto killed his trainer, Alexis Martinez, during a training session. Despite this tragic event, Loro Parque continued using orcas in shows.
Loro Parque has been criticized for its bad conditions for orcas. The park now had three orcas left: Morgan, Tekoa and Adán.
Timeline of Keto’s life in Captivity
- 1995: Born at SeaWorld Orlando, Florida, US
- 1999: Moved to SeaWorld San Diego, US
- 2000: Transferred to SeaWorld Ohio, US
- 2001: Relocated to SeaWorld San Antonio, Texas, US
- 2006: Moved to Loro Parque in Tenerife, Spain
- 2009: Killed trainer Alexis Martinez during a training session at Loro Parque.
- 2010: His son Adán is born. Adán continues to perform at Loro Parque.
- 2012: His daughter Vicky is born. She died.
- 2018: His daughter Ula is born. She died.
- 2023: Animal welfare organizations who visited Keto said that he appeared hungry and followed trainers with his mouth open, begging for food.
- 2024: Died on November 22 after being “very unwell” for several weeks.
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