SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau dies in killer-whale attack

Tilikum, the largest killer whale at any SeaWorld park, has been involved in two previous deaths.

He was one of three killer whales blamed for the 1991 drowning of a trainer while he performed at the now-defunct Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia. In 1999, the dead body of a naked man was found lying across Tilikum’s back at SeaWorld Orlando.

Tompkins said Tilikum would not be put down because of the attacks. His name, according to various sources, means “welcome,” “greetings” or “friend” in Chinook jargon.

You’d think that the two previous killings by a Killer Whale might have, just maybe, been a clue that this animal was not particularly benign to humans.

Maybe it’s time to rethink the whole wild-animals-as-entertainment concept. They may be cute, but millions of years of evolution will trump years of training when the situation is right.