The uncertain future of two killer whales, Wikie and her 11-year-old son Keijo, remains unresolved despite the closure of their marine zoo home, Marineland Antibes, in southern France, two months ago. Marineland has been trying to relocate the whales, but animal rights campaigners want them to be housed in a sanctuary where they won’t have to perform or breed, instead of another marine zoo. French Ecology Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher stated she would discuss creating a sanctuary with other European countries, but her proposal lacks clear details and has been criticized. Campaigners also point out the deaths of several orcas in Spain’s Loro Parque, which wants to receive the whales from Marineland. Loro Parque claims that whale sanctuaries cannot meet the needs of killer whales and that the orcas could be at risk of being used for breeding. Some animal rights groups welcome Pannier-Runacher’s idea of a European sanctuary, but others argue that building one in the Mediterranean is not the best option for the whales.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceqjrnjvrv4o