By Elisabelle Aruldoss -
In spite of the recent campaigns against the Resort’s World Sentosa’s use of captive dolphins in their marine exhibition, RWS is still planning to exhibit the remaining twenty-five dolphins. Three dolphins have died so far; two in 2010 and one recently. But to date, RWS has not shown any intention of releasing them and so I feel inclined to share this article which outlines why I choose to fight for the dolphins.
It has also come to my attention that many Singaporeans are unconvinced towards past articles written in relation to RWS dolphins as they feel that there is some inconsistency between the treatment of dolphins and other animals. I am sure a portion of Singaporeans are uncertain as to why many are against captive dolphins when there are captive animals in zoos and pets at home. I understand that little has been shared about the sensitivity of captive dolphins so bear with me as I first explain how intelligence plays a significant role in this argument.
There are terms used to describe the intelligence of animals such as ‘sentience’ and ‘cognition’. Animals that are sentient can exhibit emotions like fear, anxiety, stress, playfulness and sometimes empathy[1]. There are also animals that demonstrate cognition. These animals are distinguished from merely sentient beings as they have superior abilities such as the ability to solve problems, to have episodic memory, to form complex relationships or even to form a mental image of an absent object[2].
Dolphins are highly intelligent and display higher levels of cognition[3] and therefore, their emotional needs are drawn to such an extent where they can die when not given the proper requirements[4].
What makes dolphins different from the rest?
I would like to shed light on a common question that some Singaporeans ask. This question was apparent in Mr. Patrick Tan’s letter ‘RWS dolphins can be of educational value’. In his letter, he asked ‘Why cry over three dolphins when there are some birds and dogs that should not be kept in homes in Singapore? Are these not animals that should be allowed their natural freedom?’ [5]
Domestic animals
Here I will explain the vast difference. It has to be noted that dogs and birds have co-existed in our households as pets i.e. they are domesticated animals. A domesticated animal cannot be compared to a wild animal.
Despite the obvious differences in their sensitivity towards living requirements, dolphins are born in and are adapted to the wild, whereas dogs for example have evolved over the years to co-exist with humans as part of their survival. John Bradshaw has theorized that socialization with humans was an ability that was not generated as a result of the domestication of ancestor wolves, but a pre-adaptation that allowed for domestication of a few wolves to become domestic dogs[6]. Simply put, in dog evolution, co-existence with humans is seen as an adaptation, whereas this is not the case for dolphins.
Zoo animals
Captive animals in the zoo do experience negative effects as a result of captivity. But like I mentioned earlier, dolphins are highly intelligent, and exhibit higher cognition levels. Therefore, they have stricter requirements for their survival compared to animals of a lesser cognition level. I am not saying that zoo animals lead a stress-free and good quality of life. I am simply saying that the captive dolphin issue is the one in dire need of addressing as the negative impacts are not just on a stress-scale but a death-scale.
There some cases where zoos fail to provide their captive animals with the basic requirements of proper animal welfare. In those cases, thankfully there are many concerned organizations that will speak up to release them from captivity; for example ENCAP[7], BornFree[8] and WSPA[9] . We can measure how much an animal suffers by assessing lack of natural behavior expression, persistence of stereotypic behavior, physical and affective states[10],[11],[12]. Routine checks should be conducted in captive wildlife bodies to ensure that the animals are healthy and under good welfare. So, the high death rate of RWS dolphins clearly shows the negligence of proper animal welfare.
The difference between Zoos and RWS
Zoos are not all that bad, as they can have a greater purpose behind exhibiting captive animals for the public. Some zoos play a vital part in conservation, developing projects and action plans such as captive breeding. Besides having the expertise to conduct research vital for the conservation of wildlife and educating the public on wildlife matters[13], zoos are important financial contributors to wildlife[14]. For example, the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums members have altogether contributed US $350 million per year towards wildlife conservation efforts, putting them in third place after World Wildlife Fund Global Network and Nature Conservancy[15].
Those zoos make significant contributions to wildlife conservation. Besides benefitting the wildlife conservation community, they have the proper resources, skills and expertise to to hold captive animals.
I am against dolphins in captivity not because I am fonder of them, but because these highly sensitive creatures are not as tolerant to a captive environment as dogs, other domesticated or some captive wild animals are. If any other animal was in the same position as the RWS dolphins are, I would speak up for them too.
To sum this up, I would like to urge RWS to follow Monterey Bay Aquarium’s[16] example in not having wild dolphins. Instead, they have plastic dolphins that probably give the same observational educational value as captive dolphins. The best way to learn about wild dolphins is to read about them in books or watch television documentaries, not by watching them in captive environments. There are many other Marine Park’s that have shut down their captive facilities as they understand that dolphins should not be in captivity[17]. RWS can still follow their example and let their dolphins roam freely in the ocean where they belong. I sincerely hope that the relevant readers would recognize the plight of these dolphins and start to consider their well-being.
[1] Silverman, J 2008, ‘Sentience and Sensation’, Lab Animal, pp. 465
[2] Vallortigara, G., Chiandetti, C., Rugani, R., Sovrano, VA & Regolin, L 2010, ‘Animal cognition’, Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, Vol. 1, No. 6, pp. 882-893
[3] Marino, L 2004, ‘Dolphin cognition’, Current Biology, Vol. 14, No. 21, pp. R910 – R911
[4] Grimm, D 2011, ‘Are dolphins too smart for captivity?’, Science, Vol. 332, No. 6029, pp. 526-529
[5] http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC121127-0000019/RWS-dolphins-can-be-of-educational-value
[6] Bradshaw, J 2011, ‘How wolves became dogs’, Dog sense: how the new science of dog behavior can make you a better friend to your pet, Basic Books pp. 29-66
[7] http://www.endcaptivity.org/
[8] http://www.bornfree.org.uk/
[9] http://www.wspa-international.org/
[10] Bekoff, M 1998, ‘Animal Welfare’, Encyclopedia of animal rights and animal welfare, pp. 55
[11] Bracke, MBM & Hopster, H 2006, ‘Assessing the importance of natural behaviour for animal welfare’,Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Ethics, Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 77-89
[12] Dawkins, MS 2004, ‘Using behaviour to assess animal welfare’, Animal Welfare, Vol. 13, pp. S3-7
[13] Whitehead, M 1995, ‘Saying it with genes, species and habitats: biodiversity education and the role of zoos’, Biodiversity and Conservation, Vol. 4, pp. 664-670
[14] Tribe, A & Booth, R 2003, ‘Assessing the Role of Zoos in Wildlife Conservation’, Human Dimensions of Wildlife, Vol. 8, pp. 65–74
[15] Conde, DA., Flesness, N., Cholchero, F., Jones, OR & Scheuerlein, A 2011, ‘An Emerging Role of Zoos to Conserve Biodiversity’, Science, Vol. 331, pp. 1390-1391
[16] http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/
[17] http://savejapandolphins.org/blog/post/captive-facilities-closed
