Feds back SeaWorld over PETA in orca injury probe
San Diego Federal investigators have closed their probe of an injured 11-year-old orca at San Diego's SeaWorld, supporting the park's conclusions and rejecting claims from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals that the wound came from other whales attacking.
U-T San Diego ( http://bit.ly/Syb3KI ) reports Thursday the U.S. Department of Agriculture ended its investigation spurred by a PETA complaint saying SeaWorld was keeping incompatible animals together in violation of federal law.
The orca, named Nakai, lost a dinner-plate-sized chunk of jaw Sept. 20. The USDA concluded the wound likely came from scraping the track that holds gates between pools at Shamu Stadium.
PETA issued a statement saying the USDA findings ignore expert conclusions that the injury could only have been caused by dangerous conditions in the "concrete bathtub" where Nakai is "imprisoned."
Information from: U-T San Diego, http://www.utsandiego.com
The Associated Press