The Case against Marine Mammals in Captivity - The Humane ...

StressStress has been recognized and discussed in this reportas a factor that can severely affect the health ofcaptive wildlife, including marine mammals. 246 Stressin mammals can manifest in many ways, including weightloss, lack of appetite, anti-social behavior, reduced calvingsuccess, arteriosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), stomachulcers, changes in blood cell counts, increased susceptibilityto diseases (reduced immune response), and even death. 247Short-term acute stress will occur as the result of pursuit,confinement, and physical handling experienced during captureor the transport process. 248 Long-term chronic stress willresult once an animal is permanently confined in captivity.The pursuit, handling, and disturbance marine mammals endurewhen first captured from the wild and whenever they are beingtransported from one location to another are highly traumatic. 249Scientific studies have noted significant physiological impacts fromThe risk of dying increases six-fold in bottlenose dolphins during thefirst five days after a capture, and a similar mortality spike is seen afterevery transport between facilities. In other words, every transport isas traumatic to a dolphin as a capture from the wild.pursuit and handling, particularly in cetaceans. 250 A strong pieceof evidence showing that dolphins never become accustomed tothese causes of stress is seen in the greatly increased mortality ratethey demonstrate immediately after every transport. As noted earlier,the risk of dying increases six-fold in bottlenose dolphins duringthe first five days after a capture, and a similar mortality spike isseen after every transport between facilities. 251 In other words,every transport is as traumatic to a dolphin as a capture from thewild. They never get used to being restrained and moved betweenenclosures, and the stress considerably increases their risk ofdying. 252 It is notable that when researchers have calculated mortalityrates for cetaceans in captivity, this period of sharply increasedmortality has been excluded from their calculations, resulting inan overall captive survival rate that is artificially inflated. 253Sea otters are particularly susceptible to stress during transport.Many die after being handled, whether during a capturefrom the wild or a move between facilities. Photo: BigStockPhoto/Iris AbbottConfinement exacerbates stressful situations for marine mammalsin many ways. Captive animals are in artificial social groupingsdetermined by humans, in small restricted areas, and the socialpressures and stress they experience can escalate when they haveno avenue for escape. In dolphins, for example, adding new membersto a captive group—such as young animals reaching maturity—orplacing incompatible animals into groups can upset thegroup’s social dynamics and dominance hierarchies, as can isolatingindividual animals or separating them from their associates. 254These circumstances can lead to increased aggression, illness,poor success in calf rearing, and even death.The effects of socially inflicted stress in captivity were illustrated ina 2002 study, which described how seemingly innocuous changesin dolphin groupings and associations could actually causeextreme stress, leading to chronic illness and death. 255 In an