Free Tilly!
The Petition
Feb. 25, 2010
To: Jim Atchison
President and Chief Executive Officer
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
Dear Mr. Atchison,
As you know, Tilikum the killer whale, or Tilly, made headlines after taking the life of his trainer, Dawn Brancheau, in Orlando on Feb. 24, 2010. We are saddened by this tragic loss of life, and are also outraged because it was avoidable. This is the 3rd death attributed to Tilly in his more than 20 years in captivity. A spokesperson from Sea World responded that Tilly is an “Ambassador” who continues to teach us about aquatic life. To many outside the Sea World corporate family, however, Tilly doesn’t appear to be a willing “Ambassador”: Tilly seems much more like a frustrated captive in a very small environment, frantic and desperate for any escape. It appears that Tilly has been begging for more than 2 decades to be returned to the ocean, and is willing to take drastic, violent measures to express his discontent.
Neither the public nor Sea World employees benefit from the captivity of Tilikum the killer whale, as has been proven by three tragic deaths. We the undersigned believe that the most sensible and humane course of action is to return Tilly to his natural environment as soon as possible. Thank you.