Dolphin bound for Marine Life Park dies

Wild-caught dolphin dies less than an hour after leaving Philippines for Singapore, sparking anger among animal lovers
Tan Weizhen Today Online 23 Nov 12

SINGAPORE - One of the 25 dolphins destined for Resorts World Sentosa's (RWS) newly-opened Marine Life Park died yesterday on its way to Singapore - the third of the wild-caught dolphins acquired by the resort to die, sparking outrage among animal lovers.

A Marine Life Park spokesman said the male dolphin, named Wen Wen, died less than an hour into the three-hour flight from the Philippines.

The park had been left with 25 dolphins after two died of a bacterial infection in a holding area in Langkawi, Malaysia, in 2010.

The 25 dolphins were training in the Philippines until earlier this week, when the first group of 14 dolphins was flown to Singapore.

In a statement last night, the spokesman said the two marine mammal veterinarians and eight specialists monitoring the 11 dolphins on the flight yesterday had responded with emergency medical treatment.

Preparations for the move had started several months ago and included continuous health assessments of the animals and simulations.

The dolphins had also gone through medical checks before the flight and were deemed healthy.

"No medical results or behavioural observations indicated that Wen Wen was in a compromised condition to make the journey," he said.

According to the park, a necropsy was performed on the dead dolphin yesterday, with officials from the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority present.

Further tests will be conducted in Singapore and the United States in the next few weeks.

The spokesman added: "Wen Wen was a sociable dolphin that survived a shark attack in the wild and had the scars of a shark bite on his torso. (He) and his trainer had developed a strong bond during their four years together."

Last month, animal rights groups in the Philippines had fought in courts there to stop the dolphins from being exported to Singapore, while local wildlife conservation group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) has campaigned vigorously against the acquisition.

Yesterday, ACRES Chief Executive Louis Ng urged RWS "to do the right thing" and rehabilitate and release the remaining dolphins back to their home in the Solomon Islands.

"Wen Wen was born in the wild, lived six years free in the wild, and it is tragic that he died in captivity far from home," he said.

The incident also provoked an outcry among animal lovers, who questioned the need for dolphins in the park for educational purposes.

Bank officer Brandon Huang, 31, an avid diver, said keeping wild-caught dolphins in captivity is cruel and "demeaning".

"I am for having an aquarium to educate, but certain wildlife such as dolphins just cannot be kept in such an environment," he said.

He also objected to having rare shark species, such as hammerhead sharks, at the Marine Life Park.

RWS dolphin dies on flight
Melissa Pang Straits Times 23 Nov 12;

ONE of the dolphins being transferred to Resorts World Sentosa's Marine Life Park died yesterday.

Wen Wen, a male dolphin estimated to be 10 years old, "died suddenly" less than an hour before the plane from Subic Bay in the Philippines landed here.

A spokesman for the park said that it received emergency treatment but did not make it.

The dolphin was one of 11 in the second batch being transported to the park. The first batch of 14 arrived on Monday.

Wildlife activists have been lobbying against the dolphins being displayed at the park, which opened to the public yesterday.

RWS bought the dolphins from a Canadian dolphin trader in 2008 and 2009. They were caught from the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific, and activists said they would not thrive in captivity.

Wen Wen was the third dolphin to die out of 27 which RWS acquired. Two, which were kept at a holding area in Langkawi in Malaysia, died of a water-borne bacterial infection in October 2010.

The news drew flak from animal welfare groups, which asked RWS to rethink its decision to have dolphins in the park, which is billed as the world's largest oceanarium with 100,000 animals spread over 8ha.

The Marine Life Park spokesman said there were two marine mammal veterinarians and eight marine mammal specialists accompanying and monitoring the 11 dolphins on their three- hour flight here.

It was not Wen Wen's first time flying. There was also little evidence from pre-flight medical and behavioural tests to show that it was not fit to travel.

All 25 dolphins were given thorough medical examinations which included full haematology and body examinations, and were "deemed healthy prior to the move", said the spokesman.

Preparations for the move started several months ago and included continual health assessments of the animals, simulations and related groundwork.

Yesterday morning, a necropsy - an autopsy performed on an animal - was performed in the presence of Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority officers.

Further laboratory tests will be conducted in Singapore and the United States to find out what happened.

"Wen Wen was a sociable dolphin that survived a shark attack in the wild and had the scars of a shark bite on his torso," said the spokesman. "He will be sorely missed."

Animal group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (Acres) last night urged RWS to "do the right thing" and release the remaining surviving dolphins back into the Solomon Islands waters after they have been rehabilitated.

Mr Louis Ng, founder and chief executive of Acres, said the group would "intensify" its lobbying efforts in the light of Wen Wen's death.

The dolphins had been kept at a facility in Subic Bay in the Philippines while the park was being built. They will be shown next year.

Animal welfare groups in the Philippines had tried to prevent the dolphins from being flown out but failed in their lawsuit.

Dolphin bound for Marine Life Park dies en route to Singapore
Sing Geok Shan Channel NewsAsia 22 Nov 12;

SINGAPORE: A male dolphin bound for Marine Life Park at Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) has died on its flight to Singapore.

Wen Wen, which was estimated to be ten years old, died less than an hour before its plane landed in Singapore.

The dolphin was one of 11 on the three-hour long flight from the Philippines on Thursday.

A Marine Life Park spokesperson said that there were two marine mammal veterinarians and eight marine mammal specialists accompanying and monitoring the dolphins.

The dolphins were also given thorough medical examinations and were deemed healthy before the move.

Another 14 dolphins have already been transported earlier this week from Subic Bay, Philippines, where they were kept for training.

Animal welfare group Animal Concerns Research and Education Society (ACRES) said that it was saddened by the loss and urged RWS to rehabilitate and release the remaining dolphins back into Solomon Islands waters.

There have been several attempts to block the Indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins from being brought to Singapore.

- CNA/jc

Dolphin at RWS dies en route to Singapore
Today Online 22 Nov 12;

Singapore - Wen Wen, one of the 25 dolphins at Resorts World at Sentosa, died en route to Singapore today.

Marine Life Park has issued the following statement:

We are deeply saddened that Wen Wen, one of our 25 dolphins, died en route to Singapore today.

Wen Wen, a male dolphin estimated to be ten years old, died suddenly less than an hour into landing during the three-hour flight. Two marine mammal veterinarians and eight marine mammal specialists accompanying and monitoring the 11 dolphins on the flight responded with emergency medical treatment.

As is standard and required protocol, all of our 25 animals were given thorough medical examinations, including full hematology and chemistry profiles as well as cytology and body examinations and were deemed healthy prior to the move. No medical results or behavioural observations indicated that Wen Wen was in a compromised condition to make the journey. Preparations for the move started several months ago and included continual health assessments of the animals, simulations and related groundwork. International Air Transportation Association (IATA) standards and protocols were strictly observed and enforced during the planning and implementation of our marine mammal transport.

The Marine Life Park's four veterinarians have a combined experience of successfully transporting more than 500 marine mammals. The same veterinary team, with a collective experience with marine mammals of over 70 years, as well as the team of marine mammal specialists on the flight, successfully completed our dolphins' transport to Subic Bay and the recent transport of our 14 dolphins to Singapore.

A necropsy was performed this morning in the presence of AVA officers. Over the next few weeks, further laboratory tests will be conducted in Singapore and the United States to assess any contributing factors.

The other members of our bottlenose dolphin family are currently acclimatizing to their new home at Marine Life Park as we continue to monitor them and observe their quarantine period. No effort or resources will be spared in ensuring the health and well-being of our dolphins and all marine animals at Marine Life Park.

Wen Wen was a sociable dolphin that survived a shark attack in the wild and had the scars of a shark bite on his torso. Wen Wen and his trainer had developed a strong bond during their four years together. He will be sorely missed.

Dolphin bound for Singapore oceanarium dies
(AFP) Google News 22 Nov 12;

SINGAPORE — One of 25 dolphins being transferred to a Singapore oceanarium despite protests from activists died during its flight to the city-state on Thursday, the resort said.

Wen Wen, a male dolphin aged about 10, died suddenly less than an hour before the flight from the Philippines landed, a Marine Life Park spokesperson told AFP in a statement.

The spokesperson of the park -- which opened to the public for the first time earlier Thursday and is part of the Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) casino -- said the dolphin appeared fine when medically examined before the flight.

"We are deeply saddened... he will be sorely missed," the spokesperson said.

The other 24 bottlenose dolphins had arrived and were acclimatising to their new home.

"No effort or resources will be spared in ensuring the health and well-being of our dolphins and all marine animals at Marine Life Park," the statement said.

Wen Wen is the third dolphin to die out of 27 which RWS acquired from the Solomon Islands in the South Pacific between 2008 amd 2009.

Wildlife activists in the Philippines -- where the dolphins were kept and trained before being exported to Singapore -- filed a lawsuit last month to stop them from being flown out.

They said the dolphins' capture violated an international treaty on the trade in endangered animals and plants.

A court in the Philippines initially agreed to a temporary ban on transferring the dolphins but another court overturned it.

A Singapore-based animals rights group also opposea the inclusion of the dolphins in the marine park, saying catching them from the Solomon Islands is detrimental to the survival of the species there.

The remaining 24 dolphins are due to make their public debut at the park's twin attractions the S.E.A Aquarium and Adventure Cove Waterpark only next year.

The aquarium is touted as the world's largest with 100,000 marine animals from over 800 species in 45 million litres (12 million gallons) of water.