Femke, the martyred captive dolphin, is finally free.
Parc Astérix has just euthanised Femke. Her ordeal has ended but our grief and anger have not.
Parc Astérix has just euthanised Femke. Today we read in the press that the plan had been to transfer her to another dolphinarium in France.Her ordeal has ended but our grief and anger have not. We had written to the manager of the Parc last week, along with our partners in the DFE coalition, asking for news of all the dolphins, and in particular of Femke, who was already very fragile.What happened? We are asking for access to the autopsy report.
Snatched from freedom among her companions off the coast of Florida, she was kept in a pool for almost forty years. Her son, Ekinox, was taken away from her. After decades of captivity Femke will have known nothing but suffering.
Muriel Arnal, Founder and Chair of One Voice, pays the following tribute:
«Femke is no longer suffering, death is kinder than anything she lived through after being captured. Knowing that humans are capable of making dolphins undergo the atrocity of captivity and training, in full knowledge of their suffering, we have no words to express our indignation.»
The Parc had intended to send her to Planète Sauvage, another French dolphinarium near the Atlantic coast. After having used her good and loyal services to make the cash register ring, the Parc Astérix staff didn’t even offer her any medical treatment and retirement.
We had been alerting the dolphinarium and the authorities for a very long time. Femke needed to be separated from the group so that she would no longer be harassed by the sea lions, and by other dolphins – totally against their will. We are going to ask to see the autopsy report. There must be complete clarity about her final moments among us.
Translated by Patricia Fairey