Plans to relocate Wikie and Keijo to a sanctuary made headlines, but with no sanctuary in sight, the organizations behind the efforts have gone silent.”
Comments on the post have revealed that the animals are still being fed by staff members, but footage shows the animals swimming around in algae-infested enclosures — an environment linked to poor waterborne infection control, and lacking in specialist veterinary insurance coverage for marine mammals.
“They Must Leave Now”
Despite the park’s closure, Marineland is still legally responsible for the animals. And its management is now sounding the alarm, too.
“Marineland reaffirms the extreme urgency of transferring the animals to an operational destination,” the park said, per BBC News. “Wikie and Keijo must leave now” for their own welfare.
These delays not only raise ethical concerns, but could also open the door to marine malpractice legal reviews under both French and international wildlife protection frameworks — especially if the orcas’ health declines due to lack of access to adequate care facilities or long-term medical supervision.
