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SeaWorld's orca whales live as long as their counterparts in the wild, according to a new peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Mammalogy by the Oxford UniversityPress.
The report evaluated the life expectancy of killer whales born at SeaWorld and a well-studied population of wild killer whales.
The average life expectancy for SeaWorld’s orcas is 41.6 years, compared to 29 years for whales in the southern Pacific Northwest and 42.3 years for whales in the northern Pacific Northwest.
"This article represents the first peer-reviewed publication that directly compares reproductive and survivorship patterns between captive and wild killer whales," said study author Todd Robeck, Doctor of veterinary medicine, Ph.D., vice president of theriogenology for SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. "The results demonstrate unequivocally that killer whales in captivity have similar life expectancies to those in the wild and provide invaluable knowledge concerning normal reproductive patterns of this species. This information is imperative for developing management plans and directing future research efforts that are designed to protect wild killer whale populations."
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