There is no way to keep these animals

IN a sign of the times, Thomas Cook announced this week that it will stop selling tickets to SeaWorld – the world’s most notorious marine abusement park – and all parks that confine highly intelligent orcas in the name of entertainment.

Its decision follows months of determined campaigning by PETA that included over 100 protests outside Thomas Cook branches and offices around the country and tens of thousands of letters from compassionate members of the public.

At SeaWorld, orcas who would normally swim up to 140 miles a day in the wild are forced to spend their entire lives confined to tiny, concrete, chlorinated cells, in which they can only swim endlessly in circles. Animals are regularly drugged to manage the resulting stress-induced aggressive behaviour, and 41 orcas and countless other animals have died on SeaWorld’s watch – far short of their natural life expectancies. There’s no humane way to keep these complex animals in captivity, let alone force them to perform cruel circus-style tricks for food.

This momentous victory for animals means that Thomas Cook has now become the world-leading travel provider for animal welfare that it claims to be, and if other travel providers hope to maintain a shred of credibility with animalloving British holidaymakers, they must follow its lead and immediately announce that they, too, will end the financial lifeline they are giving cruel marine parks.

Jennifer White PETA London N1