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CNN Live Saturday
Star Of "Free Willy" Dies Of Coast Of Norway
Aired December 13, 2003 - 16:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Keiko the whale, star of the "Free Willy" movies a decade ago died last night in Norway. His caretakers say he came down with pneumonia. After stardom, activists spent millions to return Keiko to the open sea and he was finally released off Iceland in 2002 but swam straight for a fjord near Norway 900 miles away.
There Keiko made his home among human friends and became something of a tourist draw. Paul Kristian Lindseth of Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation joins on the phone. Paul, it is reported that Keiko died of pneumonia. How common or uncommon is this for a killer whale to die of pneumonia?
PAUL KRISTIAN LINDSETH, NORWEGIAN BROADCASTING CORP. (via telephone): Well, often it's a sign of something else. But the lead veterinarian Dr. Cornell (ph) said today that acute pneumonia was the most likely cause of death.
WHITFIELD: There was some help given to Keiko as early as just two hours before he actually died, antibiotics were given to him, et cetera. Was it just too late in the process to offer him any real significant help?
LINDSETH: Well, the Norwegian veterinarian we spoke with today told us a case of acute pneumonia on a whale this size is serious, and age is, of course, important regarding recovery. Whales react as us humans in many ways.
WHITFIELD: At about 27 years old, he was considered a fairly old killer whale to have been living in captivity for so long. So then that begs the question, are some of these scientists believing or starting to lean more towards the fact that captivity may have in part, helped kill this whale?
LINDSETH: Well, I don't know. There is, especially in Norway today, regarding this if maybe Keiko was better off being free and entertaining people, maybe he was feeling lonely. The trainer team moved Keiko to an unpopulated water to give him peace. Not everybody, neither Norwegian nor American Orca experts agree on this.
WHITFIELD: Because of this death, it's somewhat mysterious, even though acute pneumonia seems to be the primary cause, will there be an autopsy?
LINDSETH: Well, they haven't decided yet, but the last we heard was, there was not going to take an autopsy, but the signs of this acute pneumonia were, in fact, very clear. So the biologists we talked with today said they would probably not give an autopsy.
WHITFIELD: And so are the biologists or even other researchers saying anything about what will happen to the body of Keiko?
LINDSETH: That's the next problem here, because they have two alternatives. One alternative is to bury the whale ashore, and maybe take care of the skeleton for displaying in a museum or something. And the other option is to take him out to the sea, which, maybe the most normal way to do it.
WHITFIELD: And Keiko seemed to be a real fixture in that community. People had felt like they developed a fairly close relationship with this killer whale. So how are most people reacting to the news of his death?
LINDSETH: Well, it's been quite a big story on the news in Norway, too today. So people are feeling sad, especially children have tight bonds to this guy.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, all right. Paul Christian Lindseth of Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, thanks very much for updating us on this very sad news in the animal world, and those who come to feel an attachment for Keiko the whale.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 13, 2003 - 16:36 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDERICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Keiko the whale, star of the "Free Willy" movies a decade ago died last night in Norway. His caretakers say he came down with pneumonia. After stardom, activists spent millions to return Keiko to the open sea and he was finally released off Iceland in 2002 but swam straight for a fjord near Norway 900 miles away.
There Keiko made his home among human friends and became something of a tourist draw. Paul Kristian Lindseth of Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation joins on the phone. Paul, it is reported that Keiko died of pneumonia. How common or uncommon is this for a killer whale to die of pneumonia?
PAUL KRISTIAN LINDSETH, NORWEGIAN BROADCASTING CORP. (via telephone): Well, often it's a sign of something else. But the lead veterinarian Dr. Cornell (ph) said today that acute pneumonia was the most likely cause of death.
WHITFIELD: There was some help given to Keiko as early as just two hours before he actually died, antibiotics were given to him, et cetera. Was it just too late in the process to offer him any real significant help?
LINDSETH: Well, the Norwegian veterinarian we spoke with today told us a case of acute pneumonia on a whale this size is serious, and age is, of course, important regarding recovery. Whales react as us humans in many ways.
WHITFIELD: At about 27 years old, he was considered a fairly old killer whale to have been living in captivity for so long. So then that begs the question, are some of these scientists believing or starting to lean more towards the fact that captivity may have in part, helped kill this whale?
LINDSETH: Well, I don't know. There is, especially in Norway today, regarding this if maybe Keiko was better off being free and entertaining people, maybe he was feeling lonely. The trainer team moved Keiko to an unpopulated water to give him peace. Not everybody, neither Norwegian nor American Orca experts agree on this.
WHITFIELD: Because of this death, it's somewhat mysterious, even though acute pneumonia seems to be the primary cause, will there be an autopsy?
LINDSETH: Well, they haven't decided yet, but the last we heard was, there was not going to take an autopsy, but the signs of this acute pneumonia were, in fact, very clear. So the biologists we talked with today said they would probably not give an autopsy.
WHITFIELD: And so are the biologists or even other researchers saying anything about what will happen to the body of Keiko?
LINDSETH: That's the next problem here, because they have two alternatives. One alternative is to bury the whale ashore, and maybe take care of the skeleton for displaying in a museum or something. And the other option is to take him out to the sea, which, maybe the most normal way to do it.
WHITFIELD: And Keiko seemed to be a real fixture in that community. People had felt like they developed a fairly close relationship with this killer whale. So how are most people reacting to the news of his death?
LINDSETH: Well, it's been quite a big story on the news in Norway, too today. So people are feeling sad, especially children have tight bonds to this guy.
WHITFIELD: Yeah, all right. Paul Christian Lindseth of Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation, thanks very much for updating us on this very sad news in the animal world, and those who come to feel an attachment for Keiko the whale.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
