2010-03-09

Newspaper Questions Policies At Sea World

The Orlando Sentinel reports that questions have been raised over the fact that SeaWorld changed its approach to animal training in years leading up to Dawn Brancheau killer-whale tragedy.

The Orlando Sentinel reports 'For many years, Sea World singled out animal training — the department responsible for the company's trainer-safety protocols — from the rest of its animal disciplines.'

The company had a corporate-level executive responsible solely for overseeing animal training in all SeaWorld parks.

'Each park also had its own vice president in charge of animal training who worked equally alongside another vice president in charge of animal care, aquariums and aviaries.'

In anonymous interviews with the Sentinel  'Former SeaWorld trainers say the separate oversight structure for animal training ensured that best safety practices and other experiences were constantly shared among trainers in every park'....[this] 'was particularly important for the people who worked with SeaWorld's biggest and most-dangerous animals' orcas.

The report goes onto say, 'But more recently, SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment shifted course. The company eliminated the corporate trainer position and the trainer vice-president slots at each park, opting instead to fold responsibility for animal training in with the rest of its zoological operations.

The newer model, in which no high-level executives are devoted exclusively to animal training, has diminished SeaWorld's overall emphasis on trainer safety, according to a former senior-level trainer who spoke only on the condition of anonymity for fear of angering SeaWorld.'


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