The final ever killer whale to be born at SeaWorld has already died aged just three months
The orca's death - thought to be caused by a pneumonia infection - in San Antonio, Texas, comes just two months after a baby beluga whale died in the Orlando park
THE final killer whale ever to be born at SeaWorld has died aged just three months.
Kyara, the last orca to be born in captivity at a SeaWorld park, died in San Antonio, Texas on Monday after suffering a possible pneumonia infection.
The calf had been seriously ill over the past week and its condition worsened despite treatment from animal care and veterinary teams.
It comes just a fortnight after a baby beluga whale tragically died at SeaWorld Orlando.
Confirming the latest whale death, the San Antonio park said: "While the official cause of death will not be determined until the post-mortem exam is complete, we know that Kyara had an infection, likely pneumonia, and that her health continued to decline.”
Kyara was born in April to a 25-year-old orca named Takara.
The news of the pregnancy came in 2016 when the company announced plans to suspend its captive breeding program and phase out killer whale shows at its three parks in Orlando, San Diego and San Antonio.
Attendance at SeaWorld theme parks has been falling amid bad publicity and criticism from animal rights activists upset by the treatment of captive marine mammals.
It was particularly highlighted in the 2013 documentary Blackfish which publicised the death of animal trainer Dawn Brancheau who was killed by orca whale Tilikum.
Colleen O'Brien, vice president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), said it was now time for SeaWorld to release the 22 orcas still housed at parks to seaside sanctuaries.
"Forty orcas have now died at SeaWorld parks," she said in a statement after receiving news of Kyara's death. "SeaWorld has to move the remaining animals before the death toll hits 41."
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SeaWorld officials said Kyara's pneumonia was not caused by being in captivity and the infection has been identified as one of the most common causes of illness in whales and dolphins, including those in the wild.
Other whales in the San Antonio orca pod were behaving normally on Monday and showed no signs of the illness, park officials said.