Sunday Times 5 Feb 12;
My children and I are encouraged that an influential person like Dr Lee Wei Ling has expressed sympathy for the captive dolphins at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) ('Confessions of an embarrassed omnivore'; last Sunday).
We agree that the treatment of farm animals is often cruel and ought to be improved, but it is not unnatural for humans to eat meat.
It is, however, completely unnecessary to incarcerate wild animals for human entertainment.
Dr Lee expressed her reservations over calls to release the dolphins. Her concerns are not misplaced. Returning captive animals to the wild is not easy. But two wrongs do not make a right.
The capture of 27 dolphins near the Solomon Islands that resulted in the subsequent death of two of the dolphins, not to mention the unaccounted number of orphaned calves, is wrong. Keeping the dolphins captive indefinitely for fear of exposing them to the dangers of their natural home does not make up for the first error.
It does not absolve RWS from doing the right thing: to rehabilitate and return these animals to the wild in a scientifically sound manner. There is a large body of evidence on good practice guidelines for re-introducing captive animals, including cetaceans, to the wild.
We believe RWS has the resources to achieve these goals.
Associate Professor Umapathi Thirugnanam
25 dolphins doing well under RWS' care
Straits Times 12 Feb 12;
The letter by Associate Professor Umapathi Thirugnanam ('RWS dolphins can still be returned to the wild'; last Sunday) warrants clarification on certain misperceptions.
As we have stated before, the collection of our dolphins for our Marine Life Park was done in accordance with regulations stipulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. We took a responsible stand on the size, age and status of each dolphin, ensuring that none of them was a young calf or lactating mother.
After a year in our care, two of our animals succumbed to a water-borne bacterial infection called melioidosis, a disease that afflicts dolphins, both in facilities and in the wild.
The park is conducting field research on melioidosis in Singapore. This is one of many ways that we will contribute to the advancement of marine science and the conservation of bottlenose dolphins.
Today, records show that mortality rates of bottlenose dolphins in facilities compare very favourably against those of their species living in the wild. Many established marine parks also have bred bottlenose dolphins, a sign that they can thrive under human care. Our 25 dolphins have been in our care for more than three years now, and are doing well.
Well-run zoological facilities can play a significant role in motivating communities of people to care more about animal life. We look forward to taking our visitors on an inspiring and learning journey when they visit our park, which is scheduled to open this year.
Krist Boo (Ms)
Senior Vice-President
Communications
Resorts World Sentosa
