Meanwhile, apparently the police haven't ruled-out the possibility that the dolphins were killed by poisoning. http://www.englishforum.ch/swiss-new...-fun-park.html (Here is the story in German via Blick in case you don't care to follow EF / The Local links)

Considering how many "pro-life" fanatic activists behave in violent ways (including killing people!) to get their point across, I wouldn't be too surprised at someone being crazy enough to poison the dolphins "see, it's a dangerous environment!!!" and justifying it to themselves that the dolphins are better off dead than in "that place"


I haven't been, I would like to hear from someone who has EXPERIENCE with animal behavior and training animals who has been there before I judge. It is a huge park, it isn't a backyard zoo and neither is it a roaming circus, I'm pretty sure that with all the regulations regarding house pets, there are some pretty tight regs for such parks and zoos as well. If the environment was that bad, surely there would have been legal battles going on and likely the park would have been closed.

[Meanwhile, babyfame and falloutchick thanking and backing up each other's posts is a lil funny to me. Not because I don't believe that you're passionate about what you think is going on but because it seems a bit odd to see non-disclosure when sweeties do that sort of thing. (For all we know, it could be both babyfame or both falloutchick on two separate accounts after one having logged into the other's acct)]

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The Joys of Opticianry

How exactly do you jump to the conclusion that it must have been outsiders, probably some sort of mad eco-terrorists?

In the meantime did the cops confiscate some traditional Chinese medicine (!) which the Vet of the animals apparently mixed into their food on a regular basis. "It improves the energy flow" (?!) and "we never had a problem with it". He mixed it into the food-fishes while the manual for the medicine that's made for human says "avoid seafood with it".
http://www.thurgauerzeitung.ch/ostsc...123841,2757976

Maybe that's just me, but even if this wasn't the source - I think this Vet's attitude and actions say a lot.

breaking news

http://www.tagesschau.sf.tv/Nachrich...nwalt-befangen

The state attorney of Canton Thurgau, who gave up on the investigation, is a good friend of the Connyland director. Connyland is also a main sponser of a sports club, which chairman is who ...? go figure
There is even a confiscated personal (non formal) Email exchange between the two of them talking about a possible complaint of oceancare.

And I really thought bananas arent growing in this republic.

Where do you get that a made any conclusion at all?

What I said was "I wouldn't be too surprised" - how is that a "conclusion"?

What's "breaking" here?

Let's not turn this into a militant hate-thread, please.

1. The federal vet agency in Bern concluded that the animals were kept in accordance with national and international standards. The state attorney based his ruling on that assessment.

2. The autopsy on the deceased animals is being done by the university of Zurich and not by the Kanton of Thurgau.

3. Several different agencies are now saying that in all likelihood, the animals were poisoned (by whom remains to be seen).


Peter

These are actually not at all the points of the article. At all.

1. The state attorney has apparently a close relationship with the owners of Conny land. That's nothing bad. But then he should simply reject to be the one responsible for the cases that have anything to do with his friends... that's how an independent legal system is supposed to work.

2. He gave legal advice in the email. That's nothing a state attorney is supposed to do.

3. The interest conflict with the paid sponsorship of the sport club is pretty obvious - you are not independent as a state attorney if your sports club might have a financial issue depending on how you do your day job.

I personally believe that the aquarium is bigger and better than most in the world. So if you believe it is ok to keep dolphins in captivity - then they are doing it right. If however the claims against the vet get any more serious - no matter if this was in the end a cause of death - I frankly don't see a point in discussing the aquarium size if in the same time some vet is running his personal experiments with alternative medicines on the animals.

We should protest in the strongest manner

Never understood why people found captive animals interesting. Circus goers are scum in my book.

Is there any animal us humans can't leave in peace? I watched Louis Theroux's documentary America's dangerous pets and I was like wtf!

Because hunting, killing, skinning and eating them is a lot easier when they're locked up. Duh.

Hilarious!

I often find pro animal rights issues amusing. Sure, I am saddened by extreme levels of abuse, but this whole "Animals shouldn't be kept in captivity" is amusing because what are we as humans? We are kept in capitivity by our Governments and laws? we can and can't do certain things. We can't commute freely without paying this that or the other, we cant cross borders without paperwork, we cant act as we choose or our human instincts allow in certain situations or face fines, prison, alienation.

But its ok, we are led to believe this is all normal because we call it a democracy and feel good as we can vote on certain issues and vote new political parties and feel we have had a say. In reality we haven't, we are all lambs to the powers that be.

Social engineering is a lot bigger issue than animals in captivity, and sadly 95% of people do not even realise it.

You're a vegan then I suppose?

Seriously birds, chimps, lions in small cages does not bother you? Birds are meant to fly long distances and not be stuck in tiny cages. How sad and evil can us humans get? We spread like cancer on this planet. Seven billion already.

Nope, they arguably have a safer, longer life than in the wild, species can be preserved, and they get regular meals, more than can be said in the wild.

I hope those poor dead Dolphins were treated with respect, and put into tins of Tuna.

So if I put you in a tiny box but give you regular meals you will be ok with it? Look at the positive side you will be in the box and your chance of getting run over or mugged will be almost down to zero. When can I pick you up?

Species can be preserved in humane national parks instead of tiny cages! Freedom over captivity any day.

You can try

But lets not exagerrate about sizes, they often are kept in sizeable enclosures.

& free medical treatment

I do not need picking up; I just need to commit a suitable crime & the transport will be provided.

Ostriches and Penguins are birds too you know

Hahaha, I was going to be a smart ar$ewith the penguin reference too

Speaking of which, did anyone see frozen planet last night? Penguins are so awesome. If I could have one as a pet, i would!.......and, that film, as far as kids cartoon films go, Happy Feet is brilliant!!