Honey the dolphin that was found abandoned in a tiny tank after its owners decided to put an end to their aquarium business reportedly died.
After Honey was discovered in a small pool at the Marine Park Aquarium in Choshi, Japan, animal rights activists had been working to free the animal dubbed ‘the world’s loneliest dolphin.’
The aquarium was reportedly shut in 2018 after its owners reported a continuous decline in visitors and profit.
After the closure, dozens of animals, including 46 penguins, hundreds of reptiles and fish, and Honey were left abandoned with no one to care for them and tend to their needs except for one employee who stayed behind to feed them.
Honey’s death was announced by the Dolphin Project, an animal charity that had been struggling to free the dolphin that got captured near Taiji back in 2018.
According to the US-based group, their attempts at rescuing Honey and other animals trapped at the abandoned aquarium were unsuccessful.
Allegedly, the aquarium, and the animals in it, were sold to a new owner whom they also contacted in an attempt to buy Honey from them.
The negotiations, however, ended last month after Honey’s condition clearly suggested she wasn’t going to survive the ordeal.
Previously, Animal Rights Centre Japan also expressed their worries over the animals’ condition with little success.
“I am worried that Honey will die if this situation continues,” Akiko Mitsunobu said in an interview with the Guardian.
“Lately she has just been repeating the same movements – dipping her head in and out of the water – and is showing definite signs of stress.”
Urging the new owners to open up about the real situation at the aquarium was also PEACE, a Japanese animal rights group.
“As a group that handles animals, they have a responsibility to explain what they intend to do with Honey and the other animals,” Representative Sachiko Azuma said at the time.
“Compared to a year ago you can see that her condition has deteriorated. It’s impossible to say that she’s healthy.”
Honey died in her tiny pool on March 29.
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Replaced!