by Mia de Graaf / Daily Mail
Whales at SeaWorld have been put on psychoactive drugs akin to Valium, documents have revealed.
Orcas, or killer whales, are dosed with benzodiazepine to control their aggressive behaviour, it has emerged in a bitter court case between the marine park and its rival Marineland.
The drug, which contains Valium and Xanax, is designed to quell anxiety and commonly causes users to become drowsy. Prolonged use has been proven to cause panic attacks, out-of-body experiences, and muscle spasms.
It is the latest scandal to emerge from the marine park in Florida, which suffered a widespread year-long boycott in 2013 after a chilling documentary on the way they treat their whales.Animal rights activists have branded the latest incident the ‘final straw’.
PETA told MailOnline ‘the end is near’ for SeaWorld.
In a statement, the animal rights organisation said: ‘SeaWorld is in deep trouble and hot water since Blackfish showed the mental anguish of orcas taken from the great oceans and trapped for eternity in SeaWorld’s swimming pools – and now court documents have revealed that SeaWorld also pumps these marine slaves full of psychotropic drugs in order to force them to perform stupid tricks.
‘If SeaWorld executives were locked up within our prison system, they would experience luxurious accommodation in comparison to those of the highly social, intelligent marine animals they imprison, which cause them to lash out, chew their own teeth to the nubs and attack their trainers.
The revelations follow a scathing documentary and a book attacking the psychotic trauma SeaWorld’s whales are driven to in captivity. Both address the whale Tilikum, which killed trainer Dawn Brancheau
The drug is a sedative used to control erratic behaviour, known for giving prolonged users psychotic reactions
‘SeaWorld can dress the issue up however it likes, but when investors want out, it’s a sign that the end is near.’
The details of the scandal emerged last night in a legal battle between SeaWorld and Marineland over the transport of Ikaika, one of the world’s most treasured killer whales.
In a sworn statement filed to Ontario Superior Court of Justice, the scandal-hit park’s rival explained the creature was sedated using the drug.
The allegations were confirmed by former SeaWorld vice president, now president and CEO of Pacific Research Laboratories Inc, Dr Lanny Cornell in a statement to the court.
Benzodiazepine, normally used to control human behaviour, contains Valium and Xanax.
A spokesperson for SeaWorld defended the medication.
He said in a statement: ‘Benzodiazepines are sometimes used in veterinary medicine for the care and treatment of animals, both domestic and in a zoological setting.
‘These medications can be used for sedation for medical procedures, premedication prior to general anesthesia, and for the control of seizures.
‘The use of benzodiazepines is regulated, and these medications are only prescribed to animals by a veterinarian.
‘Their use for cetacean healthcare, including killer whales, is limited, infrequent, and only as clinically indicated based on the assessment of the attending veterinarian.
‘There is no higher priority for SeaWorld than the health and well-being of the animals in its care.’
PETA’s president, Ingrid Newkirk, accused SeaWorld of ‘pump[ing] these marine slaves full of psychotropic drugs in order to force them to perform stupid tricks.’
The park suffered long-term damage after the release of the 2013 documentary Blackfish, which set out to investigate how animals react to life in captivity and became a critical examination of SeaWorld’s treatment of whales.
For 12 months after the film’s January release, the park was hit with cancellations from high-profile performers and school field trips, as well as aggressive animal activist campaigns.
In December, the Orlando-based marine park attempted to salvage its reputation by placing full-page adverts in eight of the country’s largest newspapers, rationalising their whale practices.
It came after the release in 2012 of Death At SeaWorld, a book accusing the park of removing killer whales’ teeth with power drills and needlessly separating them from their young.
The scathing account came two-and-a-half years after the death of trainer Dawn Brancheau when performing with the famous whale Tilikum.
Author David Kirkby blasted staff for being inadequately trained, and claimed whales kept in captivity suffer immense emotional and psychological trauma.
His research revealed that when performing with Tilikum, staff are instructed to masturbate him with a gloved hand, collecting the semen for the park’s artificial insemination programme.
