Lolita the orca (also known as Tokitae or Toki) passed away at the start of this weekend after nearly 53 years of isolated captivity at the Miami Seaquarium. Per a statement from her handlers, they presume that the cause of death was a suspected renal condition.
According to animal rights activists sourced by The Washington Post, Lolita was violently captured at Penn Cove, near Washington state's coast, on Aug. 8, 1970, at about the age of four. Per their coverage of her death, it's highlighted that while this capture marked the end of her freedom, she faired better than several other killer whales that drowned during attempts to snatch them up along with her.
