Sea World’s Last Captive-Born Baby Orca Dies
Park officials suspect the three-month-old calf died from pneumonia, the same infection that killed the infamous captive whale Tilikum.
The last killer whale bred in captivity under Sea World's controversial orca breeding program died on Monday in the park's San Antonio location.
The orca was a three-month-old calf named Kyara born in April from a park whale named Takara.
According to a press release from the park, Kyara died after complications from an infection that had grown progressively worse over the past few days.
The orca calf received 24/7 monitoring in the days leading up to her death. Sea World veterinarians treated her with antimicrobials and antibiotics, even attempting to feed the whale by hand.
Twenty-two orcas now remain at the park's Orlando, San Antonio, and San Diego parks. The youngest remaining, Amaya, was born in 2014.
The exact cause of
