Dear Madam, Dear Sir,
Since the arrival of the female orca Morgan at Loro Parque, which was found dying on the shores of the Wadden Sea in the Netherlands, we have been the object of criticism and defamation campaigns by some activist groups. These minority organizations have no knowledge of Morgan’s actual situation and I do not think that they have an honest interest in her welfare. They only use Morgan as a battering ram to defame and discredit Loro Parque.
We recently received a communication from Ms. Tanja Breining of PETA Germany informing us that their signature campaign to release Morgan (started in June 2015) had reached 20,000 supporters. PETA Germany has been campaigning for years to release Morgan, even though they know that she has a hearing deficit, that her family group was never found and that she probably never learned the necessary skills to hunt or will be able to use her sonar to detect any prey. It is evident that Morgan cannot be released because if she returns to the sea, this would only lead to a slow agonizing death. And meanwhile PETA just makes campaigns; the reality is that Morgan (which arrived at Loro Parque at the request of the Dutch authorities to avoid its euthanasia) has found a true home under our care.
This situation has led us to undertake some actions and to request the support of our visitors by collecting signatures. In only two months (from June 30 to September 1, 2017) more than 75,000 visitors have given us their support, confirming with their signature that: “the animals of Loro Parque have a decent home, are well-off and are ambassadors of their wild species.” Each of these signatures represents an invaluable support for the work of Loro Parque and for Morgan to remain with her adoptive family receiving the care that she needs.
Along with this letter we send you the notarized document which certifies the existence and authenticity of the 75,000 signatures. It is important to point out that the collection campaign has been carried out in a short period of time and that, if it had continued, we would undoubtedly exceed 300,000 signatures each year.
The modern zoos, such as Loro Parque, are the only embassies for exotic animals and they have the essential task to transmit to the world population its beauty and how important it is to conserve nature. In these difficult times for the animals, it is important that we change our sensitivity and find a way to co-exist in harmony with the rest of the living beings on our planet.
Sincerely,
Wolfgang Kiessling
