With the recent developments of genetic and psychological testing, greater links are being established between humans and other species of animals that have caused many to begin to question where the line should be drawn between man and beast. We differentiate a human by its appearance, behavior and later, genetics.
With animal DNA matching human DNA by up to 99%, as has been found in chimpanzees, as well as intelligence and empathy being found in dolphins, it appears the scientific community has finally come face to face with the conversation regarding the ethical treatment of animals it has so long tried to elude.
The recent release of the documentary “Blackfish” on news network CNN raised some serious questions as to the morality of keeping marine mammals, specifically killer whales, in captivity attractions like SeaWorld when they’ve been proven to have an intellectual and emotional capacity far beyond what was thought to have been possible in an animal.
The film itself chronicles the tragic death of a beloved SeaWorld trainer, who was killed by one of her whales in a rogue outrage. As the film details, such an outburst by this particular whale was not uncommon, going so far as to suggest, with evidence to boot, that the corporation concealed many trainer injuries and deaths as “trainer error” in an attempt to avoid repercussions from investigations into the treatment of the whales at the facilities.
The whale that the film follows, Tilikum, is perhaps the cardinal example of this mistreatment, as he is taken from his mother as a baby, kept in a shallow, dark holding cell for hours on end and is constantly harassed by other whales in the communal tanks during the few opportunities he had to interact with them – abuses that left him scarred and bloody.
While mistreatment of a human child in this manner would undoubtedly land all involved in a sea of lawsuits, the loose and often non-existent animal protection laws do little to stop the cruel treatment of killer whales. This is where things get sticky.
Consider the recent discovery of the complex language and emotional bonds between whales that govern the interaction between the creatures. Researchers have identified numerous different calls, gestures and behaviors with which whales communicate, and have even proven that whales base their mating on social and emotional reactions to their prospective mate, and in captivity will not willingly mate with a whale they don’t like (SeaWorld and other captivity facilities negotiate this breeding problem through the use of artificial insemination.)
Does this display of human-like emotions and intelligence then grant the whales the rights and privileges of humans? By extension, would the “putting down” of an animal be considered murder and would the artificial insemination of a pair of unwilling animals be considered rape?
These are questions we shouldn’t be asking; if we truly believe we are the most intelligent beings on earth, how is it we find ourselves to be the perpetrators of such horrors on innocent animals for entertainment? And if we would rather take the rational approach of accepting that we perhaps aren’t the alpha-species of the animal kingdom, then maybe it’s time for some apologies.
