PROTECTION GROUPS VOICE OUT RELEASE OF BELUGA WHALES

[Anchor Lead]

The beluga whale is a highly popular attraction in aquariums for its adorable features and gentle temperaments. But the white whales held in captivity tend to live only half their normal life span and die early, prompting animal protection groups to call for their release into the wild.

[Pkg]

A white whale with a smiling face swims leisurely through the water. The beluga whale has been the main attraction at a large aquarium in Yeosu since 2012. There were three beluga whales. But on Monday, a 12-year-old male named Louie died. He appeared healthy, but started vomiting the day before he died.

[Soundbite] (EMPLOYEE OF AQUA PLANET YEOSU) : "He was eating normally until Sunday morning. We started seeing unusual signs around noon."

The beluga whale is a near threatened species that has an average life span of 30 to 35 years. But in 2016 and 2019, a five-year-old and a 12-year-old beluga died in the Lotte World Aquarium in Seoul, followed by the young male in Yeosu just this week. The beluga whale is capable of diving down hundreds of meters, but the aquariums only provide depths of less than 10 meters. Animal protection groups demand the two remaining beluga whales in Yeosu be released into the wild just like how the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin "Jedol" was freed from Jeju Island out to the sea in 2013.

[Soundbite] CHO HEE-KYUNG(PRESIDENT, KOREAN ANIMAL WELFARE ASSOCIATION) : "The freed dolphins have adapted perfectly to the sea and have even bred and contributed to the natural ecosystem. It's only right to return wild animals to the wild."

Aquarium officials claim the beluga whales' water tank is larger than what is specified in the regulations and the animals' release is a matter to be discussed with the EXPO 2012 Yeosu Korea Foundation.