No More Dolphins Swimming in Las Vegas

This petition was started in response to an article I recently became aware of regarding the exhibit “Siegfried and Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat” located at the Mirage hotel and owned by MGM Grand International.

Born Free USA and the WSPA have condemned this place for its claims of being a research and educational facility, while in reality it is motivated by profits. They have nicknamed it the “Dolphin Death Pool” and below you will find some information pertaining to this name.

A recent visitor of the exhibit stated that upon entering the facility, with admission price of $15, you are given a brochure which talks about conservation and gives you wild dolphin facts. However, advertisements on TV and magazines push their “be trainer for a day” programs to attract visitors.

Upon looking at the website we found that the trainer for a day program cost are as follows: Trainer for a day $495. Trainer with one observer $645 and Trainer with 2 observers is $795.00

Although this exhibit says it’s a research and educational facility and has “no scheduled shows”. The dolphins perform tricks (flips, jumps, tailwalking, beaching themselves on the platform) for the paying customers and are given fish to feed as reward. We’d like to point out that these are not natural behaviors for dolphins; it is a trained and taught behavior so that the dolphins could entertain.

This exhibit has been the death sentence for many wild and captive-born dolphins. The Review-Journal obtained records from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration that includes an inventory of the dolphins at The Mirage and cause of death for those that died.

Here is a list of the dolphins that have died there since its opening in 1990:

* Rascal – age 4 – Death unknown
* Pablo – age 10 – Died from rare fungus in its lungs
* Darla – age 18 – Died from chronic pancreatitis
* Squirt – age 15 – Died from respiratory ailment
* Picabo – age 18 – Died suddenly from internal tear in its stomach
* Bugsy – age 3 – Died from pulmonary abscess
* No name – Stillborn
* No name – 2 week old calf – died from pulmonary edema
* Sigma – age 32 – Died from heart failure
* Banjo – age 32 – Died from heart failure
* Merlin – age 40 (estimate) – died from pneumonia
* Sage – age 11 – death unknown
* St. Pepper – age 2 – lung infection
http://www.facebook.com/l/46befe8wGBe8qnQg310CxoHbDLA;www.reviewjournal.com/lvrj_home/2007/Feb-18-Sun-2007/news/12653710.html

The attraction states that they take excellent care of their dolphins, however it seems to us that the mortality rate of these animals is very high. We believe that these bottlenose dolphins are subject to extreme temperature changes, from extreme cold (snow flurries) to extreme arid, dry conditions and pollution from a nearby highway. The pool is located in the heart of Las Vegas and specifically next to a busy highway. If you lived next to constant gas fumes from thousands of automobiles, you’d develop respiratory problems too!

Also, we have found that in 2009 the Mirage had asked the National Marine Fisheries Services (NMFS) to import two dolphins from Bermudas for breeding. It seems logical to think that those dolphins would have been bred to keep the tank stocked with dolphins.

This petition proposes its readers to urge the Mirage to prepare a plan to relocate the dolphins to a facility that mimics the dolphins natural environment. These creatures belong in the ocean, not in middle of the desert. If they are truly a research and educational facility they would not need to be located in the Las Vegas strip.

We understand that dolphins who are born in captivity will not be able to be released in the ocean. However, we believe that the era of marine mammal captivity for human entertainment is over. We are no longer amused with dolphins performing unnatural behaviors.

Please consider relocating the dolphins to a facility closer to the their natural environment.

For the Dolphins, For the Whales, For the World!

If you have a problem signing the Petition email directly to: secretgarden@mirage.com
Thank you all for your support!

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