He died this Sunday Kshamenkthe example of a male orca who was rescued in 1992 when he was stranded as a cub and lived at the theme park for more than three decades after his rehabilitation Marine world from San Clemente del Tuyu.
His death was confirmed by the Atlantic Oceanarium authorities, who reported that he had suffered Cardiovascular arrest around 7 a.m.
Her long life in captivity – during which she became one of the park’s major attractions – had sparked several controversies over the years, ranging from social media campaigns for environmental activism to a request to Congress for her release. However, experts from Conicet and international organizations had advised against this in reports, saying it would be impossible to reintegrate them into their natural habitat.
“Kshamenk was rescued in 1992, when he was still a puppy, after becoming stranded. Since there was no possibility of being rehomed, and following the recommendation of international experts and national authorities, the Mundo Marino team was responsible for his rehabilitation and care for more than 33 years. Thanks to this care lived longer than the average life expectancy of a male orca in the wild“Mundo Marino reported in a press release this afternoon.
Regarding the causes that caused the cardiac arrest, he explained that “the circumstances and the cause that caused it are currently being analyzed. Everything indicates that it was a condition related to his advanced age, from which he was unable to recover, despite the efforts and constant attention of the team of professionals who took care of him.”
“It is very difficult to describe the pain we feel over Kshamenk’s departure. With him went a part of each of us. We are a huge team of people who have dedicated their lives 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for 33 years to ensuring your best possible well-being.. He was part of our family. We have the certainty that we cared for him with all our love and the certainty that what he taught us is an invaluable legacy that will allow us to continue working to protect many other animals,” said Juan Pablo Loureiro, chief veterinarian of Mundo Marino.
With a length of 6.2 meters in adulthood, a circumference of 3.95 and an approximate weight of 3,600 kilos; Kshamenk belonged to a species called Orcinus Orca.
In February 1992, Mundo Marino rescue workers received an alarm. The statement from residents of the area said four animals were stranded in the Ría de Ajó, which flows into the Bay of Samborombón. However, when the professionals arrived They only found one small orca. He was between 2 and 3 years old. They named him Kshamenk, a name of Tierra del Fuego origin that means “orca” in the Ona language.
Mundo Marino recalled the event, stating that “an initial diagnosis revealed that the animal was in a critical situation. Various methods of rescue and reintegration were tried, but all were unsuccessful as the animal was very weak. The only remaining alternative was to take it to Mundo Marino’s facilities, with the approval of the national authorities, so that it could receive appropriate treatment for its recovery.”
The authorities of the oceanarium explained that the process was long and complex as it was necessary to take care not only of his fragile state of health, but also of his social and emotional situation, since in addition to the stress of being stranded, he also lost his family. Orcas are animals that live in large matriarchal groups and remain in the company of their mothers for the first few years of life. The mother is responsible for teaching the little orca to hunt and survive alone, but the entire social group plays an important role in raising the new members. Without them, survival in the first few years is not possible.
“For this reason, after his rescue, it was ensured that Kshamenk was accompanied at all times and that he gradually began to trust the people who took care of him, so that he could, without fear, allow samples to be taken to monitor his health and accept the food offered to him. This situation, necessary for his rescue, led the orca to get used to contact with people and to accept his caretakers as part of his new social group, which made his reintegration impossible since, unfortunately, the animal did not “Thanks to the care we gave him, he was able to live for as many years as the average male orca lives in the wild (30 years),” they explained.
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