SANFORD, Fla., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- SeaWorld attorneys in Florida questioned the testimony of an expert who said killer whales are naturally aggressive and driven by an instinct to find food.
SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment is appealing $75,000 in fines issued by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration following the death of an animal trainer in February 2010.
SeaWorld attorney Carla Gunnin said Friday testimony by Dave Duffus, professor at the University of Victoria in British Columbia, at a hearing Thursday was based on research of killer whales in the wild, not whales kept in captivity. Gunnin suggested SeaWorld whales are less likely to be driven by hunger and their behavior is altered by human contact, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
Veteran SeaWorld Orlando trainer Dawn Brancheau was killed by a 12,000-pound Orca named Tilikum on Feb. 24, 2010, in front of park guests.
