After months of international outcry, nearly 100 whales held in cages in Russia’s far east are now to be released back into the wild. Images of 10 orcas and 87 beluga whales kept in cramped enclosures first appeared after they were caught last summer by firms which planned to sell them to marine parks or aquariums in China. The decision came after the whales’ plight angered animal activists and spurred a petition to release the mammals, which gathered almost 1.5 million online signatures urging Russian authorities to intervene. Together with a team of international scientists, Russian conservationists will work to map out the captive creatures’ best chances of survival, deciding “when and how to release them” and creating a rehabilitation center designed to facilitate the process. Eventually, the scientists hope to return the orcas and belugas to the region in which they were captured, enabling them to reunite with family members and better assimilate back into the community.
Russia to release nearly 100 captured whales back into the wild
More of Today's Solutions
Berlin’s REWE supermarket: the grocery store with a working rooftop farm
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM The lettuce in REWE's Lankwitz store in Berlin has had a short morning. Grown on the rooftop farm ...
Read More3 Functional foods for all-day energy
You have a busy life, and now that the weather is nicer and Covid-19 restrictions are loosening up, you will likely find yourself with ...
Read MoreBritain becomes the first G7 nation to end coal power
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Britain became the first G7 country to formally eliminate coal-fired power generation last Monday, when it closed its ...
Read MoreBlood test for endometriosis brings hope for millions
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM This year’s top Health stories celebrate the kind of progress that hits close to home: advances that help ...
Read More
