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Singapore: ‘Save the World’s Saddest Dolphins’ Campaign

Categories: East Asia, Singapore, Digital Activism, Economics & Business, Environment, Protest

Below is a brief introduction of the ‘Save the World’s Saddest Dolphins’ [1] campaign in Singapore:

25 bottlenose dolphins that once roamed free and wild in the vast Pacific Ocean, are now facing a life of captivity, boredom, stress, claustrophobia, frustration and slow death, thanks to Resorts World, which plans to keep them in its spa at Sentosa, Singapore. Two of their family have already died during the ordeal. Please help save these remaining animals

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The campaign [3] appeals to all animal lovers to pressure the management of Resorts World to release the dolphins:

What Resorts World, Sentosa is doing to bottlenose dolphins is enough to upset any animal lover.

Dolphins, you see, are highly social creatures that are accustomed to being in family pods.

These dolphins face a bleak future. It is up to all of us animal lovers to get Resorts World to rethink their decision to keep them in captivity.

Please ask Resorts World to let the dolphins go. Please lend your voice and support.

Below is a YouTube video [4] in support of the campaign:

Avaaz.org, an international non-profit group, supports the petition [5]

Petition To Resorts World Sentosa:

We call on you to release all the wild dolphins from captivity, stop your practice of buying dolphins caught in the wild, and support global efforts to end the hunting and capturing of wild dolphins.

Maybe the management will listen to the petition in the same way it canceled a whale shark exhibit two years ago after it too was protested by the public:

Resorts World was forced to abandon plans for a whale shark exhibit two years ago because of the huge outcry that threatened their reputation. Let’s build a massive call now to free these intelligent, beautiful creatures — and make this a turning point in the fight to end the global wild-dolphin trade. Our petition will be delivered to Resorts World and the media. Sign now and share this with everyone!

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Facebook photo by Pearlyn Cheong

Below are some blog reactions. From Otterman Speaks [7]:

As far as I am concerned, this plan to bring dolphins for display is a direct challenge to our dignity as a nation. Are we really going down this road of having dolphins jump through hoops?

It has also been tiring to hear very old and worn arguments from the 80′s and 90′s surface about the research and conservation benefits of having dolphins in captivity. The myriad of ills which the ocean faces will not be aided by any of this.

lekowala! criticizes the plan to use the dolphins for the hotel’s ‘interactive spa’ [8]:

What was RWS thinking? Anway, how can they use excuse that the dolphins can be used for “Interactive SPA” to heal the sick and disabled children. (I have no doubt dolphins make anyone feel better but it would be so wrong if the dolphins are captive). If RWS is really sincere about this, they should donate their earnings to hospitals, hospices and other organizations which are in a better position than an integrated resort whose main expertise is food, entertainment – namely gambling, to do these things.