There are few animals that possess consciousness, that is, an awareness of their existence. A concept of self. Humans possess consciousness - for some reason, natural selection as favored humans with large frontal brains, the part of the brain that contains capacity for ideas, speech, and imitation and transmittal of ideas. The same is true for dolphins. Sigfried and Roy, the las vegas ambiguously gay duo who have the white tiger lounge act, have had a zoo of some kind for other animals, featuring dolphins. Here is the news story:
MGM Mirage officials are investigating the death of a dolphin at an aquatic habitat at The Mirage on the Las Vegas Strip. Company spokesman Gordon Absher said Monday that animal care officials are trying to determine why the 11-year-old dolphin, named Sage, died Saturday morning. Absher says 13 dolphins have died at Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat since the attraction opened with five dolphins in 1990.
Dolphins have consciousness, so they know when other dolphins die. They must have some awareness of their environment. Keeping dolphins for amusement, for profit, seems to me a kind of slavery. Mystic Seaport at least is a teaching/research center, and their revenue producing attractions help fund other more serious projects. But Sigfried and Roy are exploiting these conscious mammals - I consider it no difference from human slavery.
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