Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
Sunday, 9th February 2025 at 08:12
The Zoo de Madrid was left without its dolphins. Spain’s biggest zoological garden has relocated their aquatic mammals to the Hainan Zoo in China following a recommendation by the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums. It was decided to “ensure that the highest standards of technical excellence are met” and to “keep the entire group together”. The animals arrived in perfect conditions, accompanied by the keepers, the Madrid Zoo said in a press release. It explained that the Chinese park has “modern facilities and advanced technical means” as well as housing dolphins already from other European institutions.
The presence of dolphins at Madrid Zoo had become controversial over the past few years. In 2019, a report by Proyecto Gran Simio, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and other animal rights groups revealed that two of the animals, Lala and Ángel, appeared sick and suffered from skin lesions, and seven of the animals had eye problems. The Guardia Civil Seprona nature department and the Madrid region government conducted an investigation but did not find evidence of mistreatment. As a result, there was no sanction for the park. Therefore, the company responsible for the zoo’s management sued Proyecto Gran Simio. However, both the court in first instance, as well as the Madrid provincial court and Spain’s Supreme Court, rejected the claims.
Now that the dolphins are gone, animal rights organizations consider it a win, but they want the zoological parks to do more. The Great Ape Project’s executive director demanded Wednesday that the Madrid Zoo close its aquatic enclosure permanently. He reminded the zoo that dolphins were “intelligent creatures” before calling them the “great apes in the ocean”.
The managers of this facility have a different idea for the dolphinarium. According to them, it could become an accommodation centre temporarily when other institutions or parks need it. “While working on resuming educational activities in the space”. The zoo will evaluate the adaptation of the dolphinarium for other marine species in the future.
Proyecto Gran Simio says it reflects “the public’s general sentiment, which is against these ‘circus’ shows that denigrate the dolphins and keep them in small tanks and force them into inappropriate behavior for their species”, and suggests that the dolphinarium should be used to “educate and know about cetaceans”. The Madrid Zoo argues that the animals will continue to be part the European dolphin population by moving to China. This is to ensure genetic diversity, and to maintain a self-sustaining populations.
