Russia Will Free Almost 100 Captive Whales From Cramped 'Whale Prisons'

May 06, 2019 by apost team

The Kremlin has announced it will free approximately 100 whales following critisism from the global community of the inhumane conditions they were kept in.

According to City News Toronto, the whales were kept in cramped cages that were referred to by Russian Media as 'whale prisons' in the city of Nakhodka. The whale population in the jails consist of 87 beluga whales and 11 Orcas.

They were originally captured to be sold to China, but once the cruel conditions the whales were kept in became known to the public, a petition was set up by a woman called Anastasia Ivanova to attract international attention. The petition immediately went viral and currently holds over 1.5 million signatures from around the globe.

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In an unprecedented move, the Russian government has intervened and asked for the help of foreign experts to advise on the release of the animals. Jean-Michel Cousteau, the son of renowned marine biologist Jacques Cousteau, made his way to the enclosure to have a look for himself.

The Kremlin has now ordered the local Authorities to free the captured animals with the assistance of international experts.

Oleg Kozhemyako, the governor of the Primorsky region, told Tass news agency: 

“An official decision has been taken to release all the animals into the wild. Scientists from Cousteau’s team and Russian scientists will decide when and which animals to release.“

It is a great undertaking to release nearly 100 whales into the wild. It will take some time before this project is completed.

Russian authorities will set up and make use of a rehabilitation center before transferring the whales back into their natural habitats. The rehabilitation center will give the sick whales in the group a chance to heal from their illnesses and provide all the wales with a simulation of the wild.

Do you applaud the action taken by the Russian government? Do you think the company that captured the whales should be punished? Let us know in the comments - and make sure you raise awareness by passing this along to your friends and family!