Last week, an 8-year-old girl was bitten by a hungry dolphin at Sea World in Orlando, Florida, while she was feeding it fish scraps.
According to her parents, Jillian Thomas from Georgia sustained three dime-sized puncture wounds and a swollen left hand following the unanticipated bite, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.
Jamie Thomas, Jillian’s father, recorded the event on video, which shows his daughter being nearly pulled into the water by the dolphin that had bitten her wrist while she was momentarily distracted.
The video was shared online by Thomas to caution other parents.
‘Initially, I thought about having to jump into the water to save my daughter’s life,’ he stated to the Sentinel, ‘I genuinely feared she might be dragged under.’
Although her injuries are healing, Thomas and his wife expressed their dissatisfaction with how Sea World staff managed the situation, claiming they downplayed its seriousness.
‘Thank God she wasn’t pulled into the water. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt at this attraction,’ Thomas commented in a message at the conclusion of his video.
This incident isn’t the first of its kind at the park.
In 2006, two adults had to force open a dolphin’s mouth to rescue a 7-year-old boy, leaving a bruise on his hand, as mentioned in another article.
At that time, Sea World spokesperson Becca Bides informed the Sentinel that no changes to the attraction were being considered.
Amy Thomas, Jillian’s mother, mentioned that she would have exercised more caution had she been aware of the potential for dolphin bites.
‘I felt secure,’ she remarked. ‘Everyone tends to think of dolphins as friendly, non-aggressive creatures with cute, knobby teeth. We forget they are indeed wild animals.’
The Thomas family stated they do not intend to pursue legal action against the Orlando theme park; however, they hope Sea World will raise the age limit for children feeding dolphins and remind parents that dolphins may not always be as amicable as they seem.
And let’s not forget…a dolphin is a wild animal.
While they perform amazing tricks for fish and have charming appearances…BUT…they are not meant to live in captivity, no matter how well they are cared for.
When will we finally learn…
by David Livingstone
