Killer whale to remain in captivity

The killer whale rescued in the Wadden Sea in June in a severely weakened state will not be returned to the wild, officials at the Harderwijk Dolfinarium said on Friday.

The decision to keep the orca, named Morgan, in captivity follows the advice of seven international experts, the Dolfinarium said.
Efforts to track the orca’s pod – or family – using her dna have failed. Because orcas are social animals, it is vital she be placed with the correct family, the experts said. Without this, Morgan’s prospects for survival are very slim.
‘Simply setting her free will not be nice for her,’ Fernando Ugarte, one of the experts involved, is quoted as saying by Nos tv. ‘She will have to learn to hunt and take care of herself and that will lead to hunger and fear.’
Morgan will remain in Harderwijk until more suitable accommodation can be found.
The report, which is English, can be downloaded here