Gemma Collins has begged for the release of a killer whale trapped in a small tank in Miami, Florida.
The GC, 39, is an ardent animal lover and explained Lolita the killer whale is a “prisoner” that deserves to “retire”.
Taking to social media, the former TOWIE star raised awareness of the sea mammal’s plight.
Sharing to her 1.9 million Instagram followers, Gemma wrote: “August 8th 1970. 50 YEARS AGO to the day, Lolita was stolen from the ocean.”
What has made Gemma Collins so upset?
“To this day she remains a prisoner, in a bath tub, in a concrete prison and the smallest orca tank in the world @Miamiseaquarium.
“For 50 years, she has been unable to dive or swim any distance. She’s been made to perform for entertainment, drugged, all she does is swim in lonely circles.
“IT’S TIME TO RETIRE HER!
“These animals are not ours to control, to steal, to abuse, to exploit.
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“Please don’t support captivity. Don’t visit marine parks. Follow @dolphin_project and @peta for more information on what YOU can do to make a stand against this.”
Dozens of Gemma’s fans rushed to praise her post and share their concerns for Lolita’s wellbeing.
One user commented: “OMG! This is horrendous and should be dealt with! Close it.”
How are her fans reacting to the cause?
Another wrote: “This is so so sad, I think about her often. Thank you so much for talking about her.”
A third enthused: “YES!!!! Thank you for sharing this on your platform. More needs to be done about this! Lolita needs out of the fish bowl.”
This is so so sad, I think about her often. Thank you so much for talking about her.
In the video, as a result of her captivity, Lolita is shown aimlessly bobbing her head in the small tank.
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In the YouTube documentary A Day in the Life of Lolita, the Performing Orca, marine biologist Dr Ingrid Visser explains that this is abnormal behaviour.
In the 2013 film, Lolita is shown doing similar unnatural and repetitive actions.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDoPQsOngP4/
Dr Visser says: “In five to eight hours I can follow wild orcas easily over 50 kilometres.
“In that timeframe I would see them typically sleeping, hunting, socialising. They would be food sharing and they would be travelling in that time frame.
“But when you see an orca is captivity you see them either just lying there despondently.
“Or you see stereotypical behaviours and those are abnormal repetitive behaviours.
“That might be chewing on the concrete, swimming in a circle. They just got round and round the tank.
“They typically surface at the exact same spot.”
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