Mar 28, 2012 - ST Forum
WHILE it is heartening to read that HCA Hospice Care is
organising enriching excursions for terminally ill patients, we are
concerned about patients coming into contact with captive dolphins
('Dolphin therapy for terminally ill'; last Saturday).
Dolphins are predators with great physical strength and should
always be regarded as the wild animals that they are, with
unpredictable natures.
Dolphins cannot adapt well to a life in captivity, where they
often display physical and psychological signs of distress. Indeed,
in 2001, Namtam, a dolphin held captive at the Dolphin Lagoon,
succumbed to acute gastritis, a stress-related illness.
Unnaturally high levels of aggression, probably as a result of
stress, have been observed in captive dolphins, and this poses a
danger if a person comes into contact with them.
It is worrying to note that Han, one of the dolphins at Dolphin
Lagoon who was used for interaction with the hospice patients, was
described in the article as having a temper.
There have been many reports of injuries inflicted on members of
the public participating in 'swim with dolphin' sessions or other
such interactive programmes with captive dolphins, including broken
bones and lacerations from bites.
Furthermore, there are many diseases that are known to be
transmissible from dolphins to humans, and vice versa. These
diseases may not always be evident.
The United States National Marine Fisheries Service has
acknowledged that the potential exists for transmission of diseases
between wild marine mammals and humans. For example, a variety of
opportunistic bacteria found on the skin of dolphins may pose a
threat to human health.
For people who are facing serious illnesses and have compromised
immune systems, it is extremely risky putting them in a situation
where they may be injured by or even contract a disease from a wild
animal.
A better and safer alternative is the use of domesticated
animals, such as dogs and cats, in animal-assisted therapy
programmes, like those provided by Mutts And Mittens in
Singapore.
Such programmes have been shown to bring great benefits to
participants, and do not entail welfare concerns for the domestic
animals involved.
Louis Ng
Executive Director
Animal Concerns Research and Education Society
(Acres)
