About this product

Product Identifiers

PublisherCallinectes Press

ISBN-100996077006

ISBN-139780996077002

eBay Product ID (ePID)202485441

Product Key Features

Original LanguageEnglish

Book TitleKilling Keiko : the True Story of Free Willy's Return to the Wild

Number of Pages408 Pages

LanguageEnglish

Publication Year2014

TopicDrama, General, Life Sciences / Zoology / Mammals, Animals / General, Oceania

IllustratorYes

GenreLiterary Criticism, Nature, Science, History

AuthorMark A. Simmons

FormatHardcover

Dimensions

Item Height1.2 in

Item Weight28 Oz

Item Length9.3 in

Item Width6 in

Additional Product Features

Intended AudienceTrade

LCCN2014-906071

Dewey Edition23

ReviewsI've not heard of such a story since "Born Free" when Elsa the lioness was returned to the wild after being raised by Joy Adamson. Imagine trying to release a whale back to the ocean-what a monumental task! In "Killing Keiko" you'll learn about the struggle and all the challenges facing everyone involved as they attempted to teach Keiko to live, and thrive, in the wild." Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo Host, "Jack Hanna's Into the Wild" and "Wild Countdown", Among the misinformation and cacophony regarding the public display and release of whales and dolphins, animal behavior and marine mammal expert, Mark Simmons, provides acompassionate and deeply challenging account of the failed experiment to release a killer whale named Keiko. In Killing Keiko , Mr. Simmons sets the record straight and details why the unfortunate star of Free Willy was not ultimately a release candidate and why human agendas led to his death. This engaging, well-written and timely book is a sobering reminder that our human compassion for animals is not always well-conceived and that we need to better understand what our actions actually mean for such animals as opposed to what they mean for ourselves. A must-read for every animal lover out there. Gregory D. Bossart, V.M.D., Ph.D., Diplomate, European College of Zoological Medicine (Wildlife Population Health), Senior Vice President of Animal Health, Research and Conservation, Georgia Aquarium, I've not heard of such a story since "Born Free" when Elsa the lioness was returned to the wild after being raised by Joy Adamson. Imagine trying to release a whale back to the ocean--what a monumental task! In "Killing Keiko" you'll learn about the struggle and all the challenges facing everyone involved as they attempted to teach Keiko to live, and thrive, in the wild." Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo Host, "Jack Hanna's Into the Wild" and "Wild Countdown", Among the misinformation and cacophony regarding the public display and release of whales and dolphins, animal behavior and marine mammal expert, Mark Simmons, provides acompassionate and deeply challenging account of the failed experiment to release a killer whale named Keiko. In Killing Keiko , Mr. Simmons sets the record straight and details why the unfortunate star of Free Willy was not ultimately a release candidate and why human agendas led to his death. This engaging, well-written and timely book is a sobering reminder that our human compassion for animals is not always well-conceived and that we need to better understand what our actions actually mean for such animals as opposed to what they mean for ourselves. A must-read for every animal lover out there. Gregory D. Bossart, V.M.D., Ph.D., Diplomate, European College of Zoological Medicine (Wildlife Population Health), Senior Vice President of Animal Health, Research and Conservation, Georgia Aquarium, I've not heard of such a story since "Born Free" when Elsa the lioness was returned to the wild after being raised by Joy Adamson. Imagine trying to release a whale back to the ocean--what a monumental task! In "Killing Keiko" you'll learn about the struggle and all the challenges facing everyone involved as they attempted to teach Keiko to live, and thrive, in the wild." Jack Hanna, Director Emeritus, Columbus Zoo Host, "Jack Hanna's Into the Wild" and "Wild Countdown"

Dewey Decimal599.536

SynopsisThe true story of Keiko, the world's most famous killer whale and his release to Icelandic waters has gone untold until now. Millions of Free Willy movie enthusiasts have been led to believe that Keiko's return to the wild was a triumph, just like the Hollywood version. But according to author Mark Simmons, director of the Keiko Animal Behavior Team on the Keiko Release Project, the whale's riveting story is one of unnecessary tragedy. Killing Keiko unveils the shocking evolution and collapse of the whale's rehabilitation, covering his final trek across the North Atlantic to his heart-wrenching death in Norway. In life, Keiko was undoubtedly the most famous whale in history. In death, he became the most famous case of animal abuse the world could not yet fathom., In 1978, a young killer whale "Keiko" was collected off the east coast of Iceland and spent the next 18 years in human care. At Reino Aventura Park in Mexico, his home was not conducive to good health, and over time his condition deteriorated. In 1993, Keiko became the star of Free Willy , a Warner Bros. blockbuster movie, that enchanted the public and led children and adults to believe that a whale, long-held in the care of man, could successfully make its way in the wild. Animal rights organizations lobbied for a real-life release program for Keiko, similar to his fictitious counterpart, and millions of dollars were raised to return the orca back to his home waters. Author Mark Simmons was leader of the team of animal behaviorists brought to Iceland as part of the release project. But the program was doomed to failure from the start; plagued by hidden agendas and an organization unable to recognize that Keiko needed to learn to be wild before any chance at survival could exist.

LC Classification NumberQL737.C432S56 2014