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Hundreds of sea animals are currently trapped in a Japanese aquarium that’s been closed for months, say local animal rights groups.
One dolphin, 46 penguins, and hundreds of fish are reportedly still being kept in the out-of-business Inubosaki Marine Park, which has been closed since January.
Honey
While still being fed, activists say that Honey – the last of a number of bottlenose dolphins – is showing signs of mental anguish in the ‘small pool’ where she is kept.
Animal rights group Put An End to Animal Cruelty and Exploitation (PEACE) says that she also appears to have suffered sunburns on her back.
Honey was captured from the wild and sold to the aquarium in 2005 – meaning she has been confined on the property for 13 years.
Inspection
An aquarium inspection was conducted by Chiba Prefecture’s Hygiene Control Division.
Shunichi Sugasawa, who works for the organization told CNN that while the dolphin and penguins are ‘alive and healthy’, half of the fish are not accounted for.
He said also that Honey’s sunburns were being treated with ‘medicine and Vaseline’ and that the park is attempting to find somewhere to transfer her.
The aquarium has not commented publicly on the controversy.
