11-year-old dolphin dies at Mirage on Las Vegas Strip; 3rd since April

[mahatmakanejeeves]

11-year-old dolphin dies at Mirage on Las Vegas Strip; 3rd since April

By Caitlin Lilly
Published: Sep. 26, 2022 at 9:46 AM EDT

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) - MGM Resorts International announced Sunday that a dolphin died over the weekend at The Mirage Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat. ... According to a news release, the bottlenose dolphin, named K2, died Saturday at 11 years old. ... The company says K2 had been receiving treatment for a respiratory illness.

The death of K2 marks the third dolphin to die at the facility since April, as an 19-year-old dolphin named Maverick died earlier this month and a 13-year-old dolphin named Bella died in April.

“All of us are heartbroken over this tragic loss, especially our amazing animal health and care teams who love and care for our animals on a daily basis,” Mirage’s Interim President Franz Kallao said in a memo to staff.

In the memo, Kallao said that K2 had been born and the facility and staff “watched him grow and learn, from an infant to an adolescent and finally to an adult.” ... He added that K2 “was very vocal, energetic, loved his toys and was a joy to be around. He always made us smile.” ... The company said that the facility would be closed until further notice.

Copyright 2022 KVVU. All rights reserved.

[catbyte]

1. So infurtating. We have no business keeping them captive for our amusement.

[jimfields33]

2. I think they are treated well.

I’m not so sure I’d want to be in the ocean and be caught by a hook.

[secondwind]

3. True, but it's the quality that matters.

These dolphins in zoos, etc live a miserable life IMO

[catbyte]

4. They navigate by using sonar and it's hell for them to have that bouncing

off their tanks. Plus, the cruelty involved in their capture is unbearable to see. Just watch "The Cove" to see what it's like. Dolphins aren't caught by hooks, btw.

I don't care how well they're treated. Dolphins do not belong in the desert. Or as playthings for us. And something must be going terribly wrong if this is the third dolphin death since April.

[2naSalit]

5. They know they are not...

Anywhere near an ocean! It probably drives them crazy along with the confinement issues of not having enough near enough space. They are sentient beings and we have no right to enslave them as we do.