SeaWorld Orlando was in mourning Sunday, after a 20-year-old killer whale named Taima died while giving birth, according to reports.
Taima was impregnated by Tilikum, the whale who recently killed trainer Dawn Brancheau by drowning her. The calf did not survive the birth.
“Everyone is very saddened by the loss … Everyone is reeling,” Dr. Chris Dold, vice president of veterinary services for Orlando-based SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment, told the Orlando Sentinel. “Ty was a member of the family.”
httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPaQ00Po7bQ
Taima and Tilikum are seen swimming together
Dold told the paper Taima’s fetus was in an unusual position in the birth canal during the delivery process. The orca also experienced a condition in which the placenta was delivered before the fetus itself.
Orcas have a high mortality rate during birth in the wild than at SeaWorld, according to the park.
SeaWorld’s Shamu Stadium was shutdown Sunday. Park guests told WESH 2 News the show was cancelled because a whale was having a baby, but did not tell the guests WESH talked to about the whale’s death, the station reported.
Another killer whale, Katrina, 32, is also pregnant. Tilikum is also the father of Katrina’s calf.
