Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in Choshi, Japan, Release Abandoned Dolphin, Honey, into the Dolphin Projects Care, 21 Dolphins Killed last week & 14 Dolphins captured to perform for idiots & speaking of idiots, China's Growing Marine Park Industry are all on this week's Dolphin Outlook!
46 penguins, hundreds of fish and reptiles and a Dolphin named Honey were all abandoned at the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in Choshi, Japan after it closed its' doors in January this year.
They all remain being captive at this abandoned so called park. They languish in a pan environment in the first places when the facilities run properly, let alone when they have no true care, they just act listless, sluggish and dull while bouncing off walls literally and ever since the place shut down this year.
Please go to this link to learn more about the animals trapped at Inubosaki.
Notably, a bottlenose Dolphin had been captured back in 2005 off the coast in Taiji, Japan also swims in circles in a pool the size of the ones in our backyards at this closed and abandoned facility.
PETA is working alongside local activist groups to secure their release and transfer of them all to sanctuaries, where they can be cared for in proper ways.
You can read a statement on Honey's health from Dr. Heather Rally, the supervising veterinarian of PETA US' Captive Animal Law Enforcement division, here. If returning Honey to the wild isn't possible, PETA and marine-mammal experts recommend coastal sanctuary facilities that offer a more natural environment and place the animals' welfare above human entertainment or profits. A number of alternatives have been suggested for her long-term care—however, the main priority now is having her examined and treated.
The operator of the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in the city of Choshi in Chiba which is just east of Tokyo, closed down the facility in January this year due in part because of the decline in attendances after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear crisis.
Honey, the 46 penguins, along with hundreds of fish and reptiles, are still housed at the empty facility or aquarium, according to the Health and Welfare department. Luckily, some staffers have been feeding the animals, however it is pretty clear that the facility is not being taken care of at all.
You can view the photos and videos taken by certain activists throughout the spring and summer this year that clearly shows Honey floating around doing nothing in a tiny pool again, like the ones in our backyards. Another photos shows how the Penguins are covered with dirt and dust while trying to stay set on what are decrepit, failing and actual crumbling structures near another of already broken and piles of asphalt or cement from the old walls.
“Honey is a symbol of both the problem of marine parks and Taiji’s hunting practices,” said Akiko Mitsunobu, chief of aquarium issues for Animal Rights Center, a local group. “When we went to check on the facility, she was showing signs of stress, putting her head weakly in and out of the water.”
PETA believes that wild animals are meant to roam, fly, or swim free and don't belong in captivity. Those kept in zoos and aquariums are denied everything that's natural and important to them, and every aspect of their lives is controlled and managed. They're housed in cages or tanks that don't come close to approximating the oceans, jungles, deserts, and forests that are their natural homes. They have no choice regarding their diets, mates, or living companions. A few fleeting moments of distraction for visitors mean a lifetime of misery for the animals.
The physical and mental frustrations of captivity often lead to abnormal, neurotic, and even self-destructive behavior patterns in animals, called "zoochosis." Wild dolphins live in large, complex social groups and swim vast distances every day in the open ocean. In captivity, these animals can only swim in endless circles in tanks that are the equivalent of bathtubs, and they're denied the opportunity to engage in almost any natural type of behavior. They're forced to perform meaningless tricks and often torn away from family members when they're shuffled between parks. Most die far short of their natural life expectancy.
There have been repeated comments, letters, articles and petitions sent directly to the Inubosaki Marine Park and its parent company that of cvourse have all gone unanswered to this day. A Choshi city official said they have also been unable to reach park representatives.
“I get feelings of danger and doubt from the fact that they are so silent about this,” said Sachiko Azuma, a representative of local activist group PEACE (Put an End to Animal Cruelty and Exploitation). “As a group that handles animals, they have a responsibility to explain what they intend to do with Honey and the other animals.”
News of the abandoned animals spread quickly over social media, with Twitter users posting photos captioned “Save Honey” late in the summer this year. A resort hotel’s offer to give them a new home sparked even more tweets and retweets.
“I beg the authorities to get in close contact with each other and push ahead with this,” wrote one Twitter user.
The practice of Japanese aquariums buying dolphins from Taiji came under heavy criticism following the release of the film entitled 'The Cove', an Oscar winning Documentary Film in 2009 which is how I found out about it. I have written countless amounts of articles about it. I have also raised awareness about the practice to World Leaders, Including when Carolyn Kennedy was Ambassador of Japan.
The hunt involves driving hundreds of dolphins into a cove using some sonic sounding thing or maybe it is a sound that mimics dolphins or at the very most or least depending on how you look at it, attracts them into the cove from International waters. Some of the Dolphins are then taken alive to be made for sale to marine parks like we used to do with humans, and then others are killed for its meat.
The Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums has since agreed to stop buying dolphins from Taiji, however the practice and hunting seasons have not stopped. The Japanese are allowed to hunt for the these Dolphins from September 1st every year until February 28th or what amounts to 6 full months of the year. And, during every year and so therefore half the year, the Japanese are allowed to attract and kill Dolphins or athey capture them to be sold.
As people who care about animals learn the truth about captivity, they're choosing not to support parks that abuse animals for profit. Animal attractions are about making money, not helping animals. The animals at such facilities will continue to live and die in misery as long as people continue to buy tickets. Please never visit any zoo, aquarium, or marine park.
Please ask your friends and family not to buy another ticket that condemns animals to life and death in captivity. Most people do NOT think that far. When I bring up to rather educated people and hell, I guess I was the same way but no one ever puts togeher that we must capture Dolphins, Whales and all forms of Animals and Wildlife and then transport them in crates and in truicks and on planes to places that use them to entertain humans.
You can learn more about the cruelty inherent in keeping animals in captivity here and here.
Please take a moment to write to the following individuals and organizations in behalf of Honey and the other animals trapped at this marine park.
Ironically, this information comes to light mere days before the annual dolphin hunting season is set to commence in Taiji – the place where, in 2005, Honey was brutally captured from the wild for “life” in captivity.
Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium remains abandoned, the fate of the captive animals unknown.
Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium remains abandoned, the fate of the captive animals unknown.
Bottlenose dolphin Honey languishes in her tank, Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium, Choshi in Chiba prefecture, Japan
Dolphin Project has obtained exclusive footage of Honey, sent to us from local Japanese activists. She, along with 46 penguins and hundreds of fish and reptiles, remains at the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in the city of Choshi in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo.* Due to declining attendance (people stopped buying tickets), the facility was closed in January of this year, leaving the fate of the remaining animals in the hands of the aquarium owner.
*Source: Chiba prefectural Health and Welfare Department
Says our observer, “For two hours, Honey floated alone in a corner of her shallow, shadeless tank. The property was abandoned and dirty. One car was in the parking lot, and only one person was seen, likely a trainer. There was a TV news station present, attempting to get an interview but it would appear they were not granted access to Honey.”
Penguins at Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium, Japan. Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium, in the city of Choshi in Chiba prefecture, Japan where bottlenose dolphin Honey and dozens of penguins and other animals remain captive.
Dolphin Project has reached out to the Japanese-based groups who are trying to seek a resolution for Honey. We have drafted a formal proposal to evaluate and rehabilitate Honey for a possible release or retirement in a sanctuary. Dolphin Project has successfully rehabilitated and released dolphins in a similar situation as Honey in the United States, South Korea, Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia and Brazil. And we can do it again in Japan with the help of our Japanese colleagues.
As in past years, Dolphin Project’s team will be on-the-ground in Taiji, Japan to document the hunts and share this information with the world.
Dolphin Project has obtained exclusive footage of Honey, sent to us from local Japanese activists. She, along with 46 penguins and hundreds of fish and reptiles, remains at the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in the city of Choshi in Chiba prefecture, just east of Tokyo. Due to declining attendance (people stopped buying tickets), the facility was closed in January of this year, leaving the fate of the remaining animals in the hands of the aquarium owner.
Says the observer, “For two hours, Honey floated alone in a corner of her shallow, shadeless tank. The property was abandoned and dirty. One car was in the parking lot, and only one person was seen, likely a trainer. There was a TV news station present, attempting to get an interview but it would appear they were not granted access to Honey.”
“The footage we have reviewed demonstrates the need to take action immediately in order to save dolphin Honey from a miserable death. The same is true for all of the abandoned animals at Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium.” ~ Ric O’Barry, Founder/Director of Dolphin Project
Dolphin Project has reached out to the Japanese-based groups who are trying to seek a resolution for Honey. We have drafted a formal proposal to evaluate and rehabilitate Honey for a possible release or retirement in a sanctuary. Dolphin Project has successfully rehabilitated and released dolphins in a similar situation as Honey in the United States, South Korea, Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia and Brazil. And we can do it again in Japan with the help of our Japanese colleagues.
Please join us in asking the owner of Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium to release Honey, the dolphin, to our care for a possible release or retirement in a sanctuary.
A Look Into China's Cruel, and Growing, Marine Park Industry. Due to worldwide public pressure, the notoriously cruel cetacean captivity industry is being challenged. However, China's confinement of whales and dolphins continues to thrive despite constant opposition. READ MORE
They all remain being captive at this abandoned so called park. They languish in a pan environment in the first places when the facilities run properly, let alone when they have no true care, they just act listless, sluggish and dull while bouncing off walls literally and ever since the place shut down this year.
Please go to this link to learn more about the animals trapped at Inubosaki.
Notably, a bottlenose Dolphin had been captured back in 2005 off the coast in Taiji, Japan also swims in circles in a pool the size of the ones in our backyards at this closed and abandoned facility.
PETA is working alongside local activist groups to secure their release and transfer of them all to sanctuaries, where they can be cared for in proper ways.
You can read a statement on Honey's health from Dr. Heather Rally, the supervising veterinarian of PETA US' Captive Animal Law Enforcement division, here. If returning Honey to the wild isn't possible, PETA and marine-mammal experts recommend coastal sanctuary facilities that offer a more natural environment and place the animals' welfare above human entertainment or profits. A number of alternatives have been suggested for her long-term care—however, the main priority now is having her examined and treated.
The operator of the Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium in the city of Choshi in Chiba which is just east of Tokyo, closed down the facility in January this year due in part because of the decline in attendances after the 2011 earthquake and nuclear crisis.
Honey, the 46 penguins, along with hundreds of fish and reptiles, are still housed at the empty facility or aquarium, according to the Health and Welfare department. Luckily, some staffers have been feeding the animals, however it is pretty clear that the facility is not being taken care of at all.
You can view the photos and videos taken by certain activists throughout the spring and summer this year that clearly shows Honey floating around doing nothing in a tiny pool again, like the ones in our backyards. Another photos shows how the Penguins are covered with dirt and dust while trying to stay set on what are decrepit, failing and actual crumbling structures near another of already broken and piles of asphalt or cement from the old walls.
“Honey is a symbol of both the problem of marine parks and Taiji’s hunting practices,” said Akiko Mitsunobu, chief of aquarium issues for Animal Rights Center, a local group. “When we went to check on the facility, she was showing signs of stress, putting her head weakly in and out of the water.”
PETA believes that wild animals are meant to roam, fly, or swim free and don't belong in captivity. Those kept in zoos and aquariums are denied everything that's natural and important to them, and every aspect of their lives is controlled and managed. They're housed in cages or tanks that don't come close to approximating the oceans, jungles, deserts, and forests that are their natural homes. They have no choice regarding their diets, mates, or living companions. A few fleeting moments of distraction for visitors mean a lifetime of misery for the animals.
The physical and mental frustrations of captivity often lead to abnormal, neurotic, and even self-destructive behavior patterns in animals, called "zoochosis." Wild dolphins live in large, complex social groups and swim vast distances every day in the open ocean. In captivity, these animals can only swim in endless circles in tanks that are the equivalent of bathtubs, and they're denied the opportunity to engage in almost any natural type of behavior. They're forced to perform meaningless tricks and often torn away from family members when they're shuffled between parks. Most die far short of their natural life expectancy.
There have been repeated comments, letters, articles and petitions sent directly to the Inubosaki Marine Park and its parent company that of cvourse have all gone unanswered to this day. A Choshi city official said they have also been unable to reach park representatives.
“I get feelings of danger and doubt from the fact that they are so silent about this,” said Sachiko Azuma, a representative of local activist group PEACE (Put an End to Animal Cruelty and Exploitation). “As a group that handles animals, they have a responsibility to explain what they intend to do with Honey and the other animals.”
News of the abandoned animals spread quickly over social media, with Twitter users posting photos captioned “Save Honey” late in the summer this year. A resort hotel’s offer to give them a new home sparked even more tweets and retweets.
“I beg the authorities to get in close contact with each other and push ahead with this,” wrote one Twitter user.
The practice of Japanese aquariums buying dolphins from Taiji came under heavy criticism following the release of the film entitled 'The Cove', an Oscar winning Documentary Film in 2009 which is how I found out about it. I have written countless amounts of articles about it. I have also raised awareness about the practice to World Leaders, Including when Carolyn Kennedy was Ambassador of Japan.
The hunt involves driving hundreds of dolphins into a cove using some sonic sounding thing or maybe it is a sound that mimics dolphins or at the very most or least depending on how you look at it, attracts them into the cove from International waters. Some of the Dolphins are then taken alive to be made for sale to marine parks like we used to do with humans, and then others are killed for its meat.
The Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums has since agreed to stop buying dolphins from Taiji, however the practice and hunting seasons have not stopped. The Japanese are allowed to hunt for the these Dolphins from September 1st every year until February 28th or what amounts to 6 full months of the year. And, during every year and so therefore half the year, the Japanese are allowed to attract and kill Dolphins or athey capture them to be sold.
As people who care about animals learn the truth about captivity, they're choosing not to support parks that abuse animals for profit. Animal attractions are about making money, not helping animals. The animals at such facilities will continue to live and die in misery as long as people continue to buy tickets. Please never visit any zoo, aquarium, or marine park.
Please ask your friends and family not to buy another ticket that condemns animals to life and death in captivity. Most people do NOT think that far. When I bring up to rather educated people and hell, I guess I was the same way but no one ever puts togeher that we must capture Dolphins, Whales and all forms of Animals and Wildlife and then transport them in crates and in truicks and on planes to places that use them to entertain humans.
You can learn more about the cruelty inherent in keeping animals in captivity here and here.
Please take a moment to write to the following individuals and organizations in behalf of Honey and the other animals trapped at this marine park.
- The ambassador of Japan to your country: You can find his or her contact details here. Let me know if you have any trouble finding the contact information.
- Chiba Prefecture: This prefecture has authority over the marine park. Please address your letter to Governor Kensaku Morita at teian@mz.pref.chiba.lg.jp.
- Japanese Association of Zoos and Aquariums Director Kazutoshi Arai at kazutoshi_arai@granvista.co.jp.
Update 11/13/18: According to a well-informed source, Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium is currently in debt and seeking a buyer. When the marine park was closed, a foreign company reportedly made an offer of a few hundred million yen to buy the marine park. It was later revealed that the marine park was in debt of almost the same amount, and ultimately the buyer withdrew. We are told that there are other investors in negotiations at this time.
Our sources can confirm that Honey is being cared for by a staff member.
Update 9/28/18: Dolphin Project has been in direct communication with multiple organizations in Japan to coordinate efforts on Honey’s behalf to seek a resolution for her. By supporting local groups we have access to the most up-to-date information and the best chance to facilitate a positive outcome. We can confirm Honey, along with the other animals at the Inubosaki Marine Park, are being fed by a paid employee of the facility. We will update as more information becomes available.
“The footage we have reviewed demonstrates the need to take action immediately in order to save dolphin Honey from a miserable death. The same is true for all of the abandoned animals at Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium.” ~ Ric O’Barry, Founder/Director of Dolphin Project
If there is a dolphin in trouble anywhere in the world, my phone will ring. And that just happened once again. My phone has been ringing off the hook about Honey – a bottlenose dolphin who has been abandoned in a shuttered aquarium in Japan. And Dolphin Project is prepared to help.Ironically, this information comes to light mere days before the annual dolphin hunting season is set to commence in Taiji – the place where, in 2005, Honey was brutally captured from the wild for “life” in captivity.
*Source: Chiba prefectural Health and Welfare Department
Says our observer, “For two hours, Honey floated alone in a corner of her shallow, shadeless tank. The property was abandoned and dirty. One car was in the parking lot, and only one person was seen, likely a trainer. There was a TV news station present, attempting to get an interview but it would appear they were not granted access to Honey.”
Dolphin Project has reached out to the Japanese-based groups who are trying to seek a resolution for Honey. We have drafted a formal proposal to evaluate and rehabilitate Honey for a possible release or retirement in a sanctuary. Dolphin Project has successfully rehabilitated and released dolphins in a similar situation as Honey in the United States, South Korea, Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia and Brazil. And we can do it again in Japan with the help of our Japanese colleagues.
As in past years, Dolphin Project’s team will be on-the-ground in Taiji, Japan to document the hunts and share this information with the world.
“The footage we have reviewed demonstrates the need to take action immediately in order to save dolphin Honey from a miserable death. The same is true for all of the abandoned animals at Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium.” ~ Ric O’Barry, Founder/Director of Dolphin Project
Dolphin Project has reached out to the Japanese-based groups who are trying to seek a resolution for Honey. We have drafted a formal proposal to evaluate and rehabilitate Honey for a possible release or retirement in a sanctuary. Dolphin Project has successfully rehabilitated and released dolphins in a similar situation as Honey in the United States, South Korea, Haiti, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Colombia and Brazil. And we can do it again in Japan with the help of our Japanese colleagues.
Please join us in asking the owner of Inubosaki Marine Park Aquarium to release Honey, the dolphin, to our care for a possible release or retirement in a sanctuary.
