Sabrina Chan Channel NewsAsia 27 May 11;
SINGAPORE: A local animal welfare group has released undercover videos of 25 dolphins that will be part of the attractions of the marine life park at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).
The videos by Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) showed the bottlenose dolphins, which were caught off the Solomon Islands, being tamed and trained in Subic Bay in the Philippines.
A group of people were seen standing around a dolphin enclosure. As they watched the dolphins, several of the marine mammals occasionally jumped out of the water.
After completion of their training, they will be sent to RWS, as part of its interactive dolphin spa experience for visitors.
ACRES said one concern is the dolphins are being fed only dead fish, which is unnatural. It added that this is also highly stressful as wild dolphins are used to eating only fresh fish.
At a separate press conference on Friday, CEO of Resorts World Sentosa Tan Hee Teck, said Resorts World has followed the rules on the trade of endangered species.
He said: "All our dolphins in Subic Bay today are very healthy, and we hopefully will be able to bring them, what I call back home here, in the next 12 months."
In addition, a press statement from Resorts World said they employ world-renowned veterinarians for the Subic Bay facility, and have built a laboratory to regularly test the health of the dolphins.
The company came under fire last year after it was discovered that a smaller group of dolphins in Langkawi were kept under poor conditions.
Two of the dolphins died of acute bacterial infection called Melioidosis in October 2010. Melioidosis is a soil-borne disease, with infections occurring primarily during the rainy season.
After the issue came to light, the company moved the rest of the dolphins to the Philippines.
In conjunction with the release of the videos, ACRES has launched a "Save the World's Saddest Dolphins" music campaign.
It said it is not opposed to a marine park filled with species that are more adaptable to confined spaces. However, it is urging Resorts World to release the dolphins and allow them to roam free and wild in the ocean.
Louis Ng, Executive Director of ACRES, said: "The reality is that I think the small percentage of change in the size of the enclosure doesn't make a difference in the bigger scheme of things.
"We need to realise that these dolphins have a home range of over 40 square kilometres in the wild. Even if you give them another two by two metres, I don't think that makes much of a difference."
- CNA/cc/ac
We have followed the rules regarding our dolphins: RWS CEO
Sabrina Chan Today Online 28 May 11;
SINGAPORE - In his first public comments on the controversy surrounding the dolphins caught for the Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) marine park, CEO Tan Hee Teck said they had followed the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) rules on the trade of endangered species.
The remarks were made on the same day an animal welfare group released undercover videos of the dolphins being tamed in Subic Bay in the Philippines.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Mr Tan said: "All our dolphins in Subic Bay today are very healthy and we hopefully will be able to bring them, what I call back home here, in the next 12 months."
The Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) also held a press conference yesterday to step up its call for the release of the 25 dolphins bound for RWS Marine Life Park (MLP), where visitors will get to interact with them.
Calling the timing of their press conference a coincidence, the society said one of its concerns is that the dolphins are believed to be fed only dead fish, which is unnatural as they are used to eating only fresh fish.
Last December, Today had broken the story on how two of the RWS dolphins had died of acute bacterial infection called melioidosis, in Langkawi, in October.
Said ACRES executive director Louis Ng: "We need to realise that these dolphins have a home range of over 40 square kilometres in the wild. Even if you give them another two by two metres, I don't think that makes much of a difference."
An MLP spokesman told MediaCorp they will be as transparent as possible about their plans while ensuring the safety and well-being of their animals.
He confirmed the dolphins were from the Solomon Islands, where the government is a member of CITES.
Singapore theme park urged to free dolphins
AFP Asia One 27 May 11;
SINGAPORE - A Singapore animal welfare group on Friday launched a campaign to urge a casino and leisure complex to free 25 dolphins destined for a new marine park attraction.
Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) bought the mammals for an "interactive dolphin spa programme" at its Marine Life Park attraction, where visitors can interact with the animals.
"We hope that RWS will make a socially responsible decision and free the dolphins," said Louis Ng, executive director of the Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES).
He issued the appeal at the launch of a campaign called "Save the World's Saddest Dolphins" to raise public awareness through songs and videos on the website www.saddestdolphins.com.
RWS, which runs Singapore's first casino as well as the adjacent Universal Studios theme park, had no immediate reaction, saying it was studying the campaign's allegations in detail.
ACRES invited the public to participate in the campaign by filming themselves making "save the dolphins" speeches or holding placards that will be sent to RWS via email, as well as uploaded on Facebook and YouTube.
"Using social media and by approaching this issue more creatively, we will be able to engage the public more effectively and reach out to a wider audience," said Ng.
ACRES said RWS bought 27 Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands in 2008 and two had died during training in the Philippines.
Group uses social media in bid to free dolphins
Acres launches petition drive for animals meant for RWS marine park
Sandra Davie Straits Times 28 May 11;
ANIMAL protection group Acres has turned to social media to secure freedom for the 25 wild-caught dolphins intended for a marine park in Resorts World Sentosa (RWS).
It launched a campaign yesterday urging people to create and submit video petitions to free the dolphins, which are now being trained in Subic Bay in the Philippines to become performers.
Those who want to have a say can use their cellphones to shoot short video petitions, or take still pictures of themselves holding up placards, and upload them on Acres' campaign website at www.saddestdolphins.com
Acres, which stands for Animal Concerns Research and Education Society, is also holding roadshows this weekend at Far East Plaza. The petitions will be sent to RWS.
Acres executive director Louis Ng said the group decided to use social media after seeing its power at work during the recent general election.
RWS chief executive Tan Hee Teck, asked yesterday to comment on the condition of the dolphins in Subic Bay, said the company was following international rules on the treatment of marine animals.
Speaking on the sidelines of the official opening of RWS' Universal Studios, he added that the dolphins are 'very healthy' and are expected to be brought to Singapore in the next 12 months.
RWS followed up on Mr Tan's remarks with a statement, saying the animal care team was providing the 'very best care' to the dolphins, including a superior diet, daily enrichment and veterinary attention.
RWS incurred the wrath of animal activists when it announced in 2006 that it would house dolphins in a massive tank in its Marine Life Park attraction.
Nine of the 27 bottlenose dolphins from the Solomon Islands were housed in sea pens in Langkawi in Malaysia. In October last year, two dolphins died. RWS said this was due to a bacterial infection that also affects the mammals in the wild.
Earlier this year, Acres sent its people to Langkawi and produced photographs which showed that the dolphins' enclosures were too small and rusty, among other things. RWS later moved the remaining animals to the Ocean Adventure park in Subic Bay.
Mr Ng said Acres was not opposed to a marine park filled with species that take well to confined spaces, but dolphins roam large distances and should not be confined.
Save the World's Saddest Dolphins facebook page.
