A Sad Day For Shedd Aquarium

by | Jan 27, 2015 | Science, Tanks | 0 comments

DolphinThe Shedd Aquarium said goodbye to its oldest white sided dolphin on Friday. Tique, who was 30 years old, had been with the aquarium since 1991. Tique was suffering from kidney disease and was euthanized by the aquarium after many years of unsuccessful treatment. White sided dolphins normally live between 20 to 40 years of age and are found in the North Pacific. Working at public aquariums for much of my career, the decision to euthanize animals has always been a difficult one. At what point do you decide whether an animal is better off being kept alive in a less than humane way and how do you decide whether euthanasia is appropriate? The American Association of Zoos and Aquariums has published guidelines for Zoo and Aquarium’s on medical practices of Euthanasia. As for the controversial topic of keeping cetaceans in captivity, I am a huge believer that when kept in appropriate sized pools and under AZA approved conditions, these animals are a great ambassador for their species which foster understanding and compassion for all marine animals.

  • Francis Yupangco

    Francis is a marine biologist with an MBA and over 20 years of professional aquarium experience. Francis is the former Aquatic Development Manager at Hagen USA., makers of Fluval brand aquarium products. He co-stars on Nat Geo WILD's reality TV series Fish Tank Kings where he is the resident "Fish Geek" and was Director of Marketing at Living Color Aquariums. He is an avid explorer having visited over 45 countries and lived in 7. At 17, he was among the youngest aquarists ever hired by the Vancouver Aquarium, where he worked for 7 years. His aquatic biology experience ranges from larval fish rearing to the design, construction and operational management of renowned public aquariums around the world. Francis is currently head of marketing at the world's largest vertically integrated fish farming company.

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