Back on show: Tilikum the killer whale performs for SeaWorld crowds for first time since death of his trainer

Flawless performance: There was no special reference made in yesterday's show to Tilikum's return


The killer whale that drowned a female trainer at Orlando's SeaWorld performed flawlessly yesterday, for the first time since last year's tragedy.

Tilikum took part in the Florida marine park's signature Believe show, wowing thousands amid heightened safety that included a steel bar protecting the orca's trainers.

It was his first performance since dragging 40-year-old Dawn Brancheau from poolside by her pony tail and drowning her during a performance on February 24 last year.


Back in action: Tilikum and his fellow orcas jumped in unison and splashed those in the front rows, delighting a crowd that filled the 5,000-seat Shamu Stadium to capacity


Trainers on the platform stood behind the stout metal bar shaped as an inverted 'U' that was designed to prevent a whale from coming up out of the pool and biting and dragging a trainer into the water.

SeaWorld animal training curator Kelly Clark said returning Tilikum to performing more than a year later was best for the whale.

'Participating in shows is just a portion of Tilikum's day, but we feel it is an important component of his physical, social and mental enrichment,' she said.

'He has been regularly interacting with his trainers and the other whales for purposes of training, exercise and social and mental stimulation, and has enjoyed access to all of the pools in the Shamu Stadium complex.'


Heightened safety: Trainers kept their distance during the performance. Tilikum has already been implicated in three deaths


'Free Tilly': SeaWorld animal training curator Kelly Clark said returning Tilikum to performing more than a year later was best for the whale, but demonstrations were held outside the arena


There was no special reference made in yesterday's show to Tilikum's return.

Nonetheless, Tilikum was the main draw for many. Orcas jumped in unison and splashed those in the front rows, delighting a crowd that filled the 5,000-seat Shamu Stadium to capacity.

No trainer has been allowed in the water during the shows since Ms Brancheau's death and they remained out of the pool yesterday. The closest the trainers got was the pool deck, standing behind the steel bar whenever they reached over to occasionally toss them a fish treat or stroke the whales when they flopped on the platform.

In the accident that killed Ms Brancheau, she was nose-to-nose with the whale when her pony tail floated into the animal's mouth and she was dragged in, authorities have said. She managed to free herself initially, but the whale continued to strike and thrash her, they added.


Killer whale: It was Tilikum's first performance since killing trainer Dawn Brancheau, right, in a tragic poolside accident in February last year


Dangerous: Ms Brancheau had been nose-to-nose with the whale when her pony tail floated into the animal's mouth and she was dragged in


Since the death, SeaWorld officials have drawn up plans to spend millions of dollars on safety upgrades. Measures include installing rising pool floors that can quickly lift people and the whales from the water, underwater vehicles to distract the marine animals in emergencies, and portable oxygen bottles for trainers.

But the day was not without protests nearby.

Many of those who went to see Tilikum perform drove past about a dozen protesters gathered outside SeaWorld's gates. The demonstrators complained that killer whales should not be held in captivity and several held up signs reading 'Free Tilly'.


source: dailymail

From the stalls to the stage, the horses taking part in world-first dance show

By Daily Mail Reporter


Pushing boundaries: French horse trainer Bartabas is bringing live horses on stage at Sadler's Wells


In a theatre scene as crowded as London's, producers are always trying to out-innovate. Now, Sadler's Wells may have just raised the bar, with real horses treading the boards.

Debuting this week, The Centaur And The Animal is the first London performance by 53 year-old French horse trainer Bartabas.

Four horses will take to the stage at the renowned dance theatre for a performance with dancer Ko Murobushi. The set aims to combine equestrian discipline with butoh, a Japanese dance style.


The performers say they aim to show how human society has moved away from the natural world.

Dark sets, whispered narration and strange choreography characterise a performance that theatre criticism website theartsdesk.com described as 'strange and potent.'

‘I don’t make this show to “show” horses – it’s to dive into the depths of the relationship between man and horse,' said Bartabas. 'It’s about working together.

'Because you know horses for years and years, you know how to listen – the ideas come from the horse. When you truly work with animals you don’t control, you hear the body and the breathing. The horse tells me when something is not working.’

Dressage: The Centaur And The Animal follows the interaction between man and horse


While not a household name, Bartabas is well-known in horse training circles. For 25 years he has been perfecting his own brand of equestrian theatre, a fusion of classical dressage and modern conceptual dance.

His Parisian-based company comprises 35 horses, and a 40-strong company of riders and stable boys to tend to them. He hosts equine shows all year round at his own revolving theatre, complete with bar and restaurant.

‘The horse is like music,’ Bartabas told the Metro. ‘The instrument doesn’t change, you just spend a lifetime learning to play it better.’


Master: Bartabas has spent 25 years performing his equestrian performances, which are a fusion of classical dressage and modern dance


Source:dailymail

An Academy Award-predicting possum? Cross-eyed Heidi's tips for the top Oscar winners

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Squinting possum: Heidi's pronounced squint doesn't prevent her from leading a full life...and she has hidden talents


A cross-eyed possum in Germany is predicting this years Oscar winners.

Following in the footsteps of Paul the octopus, who predicted the World Cup results, Heidi the possum is giving her tips for the Academy Awards.


Heidi the cute marsupial gives her tips for the Academy Awards by sniffing and touching the fake Oscar statuettes, complete with squinty eyed actors pinned to each one


Each day the cute marsupial is being released in a pen, where she comes face to face with a row of fake Oscar statuettes.

Whichever statue she touches with her paw first signifies the winner in that category.

On Tuesday night, Heidi picked Black Swan star Natalie Portman to take home the Best Actress award.

The possum made Portman her chosen one after sniffing around the trophies and walking in and out of her box.


Out of the box: Here she comes for her daily walk around her pen, ready to choose the next Academy Award winner


The hilarious footage was broadcast on Jimmy Kimmel's US chat show.

A picture of each actress was taped to each statuette - complete with cross eyes to make Heidi feel at home.

Heidi, who is believed to be two-and-a-half-years-old, was abandoned outside an animal shelter in North Carolina in the United States with her sister Naira, and has been living at Leipzig Zoo in Germany since May last year.


Which one will win? Heidi's on the prowl, inspecting all the statuettes put out for her yesterday


The zoo thinks her eye condition could have been caused by her diet before she was abandoned, or because she is overweight, leading to fat deposits behind her eyes.

Heidi, who will be picking Oscar winners on Kimmel's show all week, already has thousands of followers on her Facebook page.

Her popularity is reminiscent of Knut the polar bear, who became a global star in 2007 and even featured on the front of Vanity Fair magazine.

She has also been compared to Paul the octopus, who achieved fame when he correctly predicted the outcome of matches in last year's football World Cup. Paul died from natural causes in October.


Heidi the Cross-Eyed Possum Picks the Winners - Best Actress



source: dailymail