Caught on camera: Moment 33-ton aquarium bursts in shopping centre, showering crowds with LIVE SHARKS and shards of glass

“I saw this in the news, so thought mum wouldn’t mind me posting it on her behalf!”

The tank was an attraction at the entrance to the Shanghai Orient shopping centre in China‘s second city when it shattered without warning on December 19.

Eight of those hurt were customers and the rest were shop assistants and security staff. They mostly suffered deep cuts and bruises from sheets of broken glass.

In the footage below, it is possible to see that the majority of the people were standing right near the aquarium when it exploded.

Shoppers fled in panic as shards of 15cm thick acrylic glass gave way, flooding the entrance of the shopping centre.

Before the accident

A police spokesman said: ‘There were lots of injuries caused by flying glass, some of them serious because the glass was so thick. We are investigating what caused this.’

Three lemon sharks and dozens of turtles and smaller fish, which were housed in the aquarium, were also victims of the accident that was caught on CCTV.

A rush of water and broken glass bursts out of the tank and heads towards the people looking at it

While no official reason has been given for the accident, customers said that they believe a sudden drop in temperature may have caused the burst, as the weather apparently grew much colder in Shanghai last week.

The aquarium was reportedly very popular when it first opened before the National Day holiday two years ago, but there have been problems with the tank before, as in June a ruptured water pipe led to the death of two sharks and the removal of several turtles.

Chen Yongping, an official with the shopping centre management, said that they are not going to ‘build an aquarium again in the future’.

News Link:– http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2253406/Shocking-moment-33-ton-shark-tank-burst-shopping-centre-injuring-15-people-sent-shards-broken-glass-flying-crowd.html?ICO=most_read_module

Published on 26 Dec 2012

This is the shocking moment a 33-ton glass shark tank suddenly burst leaving 15 people injured by flying shards of broken glass and a torrent of water.

Atlanta Aquarium wants to import new whales into confinement

Translated text:-The Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, USA, is under fire because of the plan to import 18 beluga whales, captured in Russia, submitting them to a life in captivity and exploit them as if they were machines that have more to play and more pups, which are then utilized in marine parks around the country.

In a National Geographic article entitled ” We import belugas for display ? “Virginia Morell disagrees with the idea that aquariums need more beluga whales in captivity. “Those who are in captivity now go stale, perhaps alone, and die. Replacing them will cause damage and distress to other whales, which are torn from their families, who live very well in the natural environment, “said Virginia.

She describes for readers the life that belugas lead in their natural homes:

“Whales are highly sociable and gregarious. They make long journeys of migration, they have an impressive range of communication and, as the Dolphins (distant relatives), are able to use this feature in a variety of ways, including imitation of each other (a newly published study shows that the belugas can even mimic human). They like to hang out in the summer, shallow coastal waters, in large groups (sometimes gather in thousands) formed by close relatives – mothers, fathers, babies, aunts, uncles and cousins. Sometimes they travel alone to visit other members of the clan apart.

If we compare this to a life where their droppings are diluted in a water tank of a cement where the belugas and other marine mammals spend their days swimming in circles, deprived of everything they like, even the ability to vocalize.

Visitors come from aquariums, spend a few hours in the park, buy some souvenirs and then return home to continue with their lives. The animals aquarium tanks remain the same until the day they die.

Mobilization

Your voice is needed! Help stop the cruel plans of the Georgia Aquarium. Please contact the National Marine Fisheries Service of the United States and inform employees why they should deny permission for the import new aquarium whales.

Please use this link , there is a suggestion message to be sent to the agency.

Information provided by PETA.

News Link:-http://www.anda.jor.br/31/10/2012/aquario-de-atlanta-quer-importar-novas-baleias-para-confinamento

Breaking News: Seal Pups in Quebec Aquarium Safe from Slaughter

 

“Received via email; great news!”

Aquarium des Îles plans to release two seal pups at sea in response to public outrage at impending kill

After public outcry in response to Friends of Animals’ September 14^thaction alert urging the public to demand that the Aquarium des Îles in Quebec, Canada, stop its senseless plan to slaughter two seal pups, Zak and Mika, whom they’d captured last spring, the Aquarium has released a statement today.

Aquarium officials say they have “received confirmation from Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) that [they] had the permission to release its two harp seals at sea. We therefore intend to proceed to the release of the seals at sea as soon as possible, while taking care to ensure their good health and welfare meanwhile.”

Friends of Animals will continue to press the Aquarium for documentation and proof of the impending release of the seals as well as ensure this never happens again. In the meantime, please continue to contact both the Aquarium and the Honourable Keith Ashfield (the Canadian Minister of Fisheries and Oceans) to insist that the seals be safely released and that any future permits to capture seals be denied. 

It’s irresponsible and disgraceful for the Aquarium to capture seal pups at all, but to capture them with the intent to kill them once its season ends cannot be tolerated. Thanks to your phone calls and emails, the Aquarium has reversed this cruel plan, but we need to make sure that they follow through with releasing the seals and that they commit to ending plans to ever capture seal pups again.

Please call the Honorable Keith Ashfield’s office at 613-992-3474 and email him at min@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Call the Aquarium des Îles to leave a message at 418-937-2277 and email them at info@aquariumdesiles.ca

 Related articles

• Iles-de-la-Madeleine harp seals spared after worldwide outcry (preciousjules1985.wordpress.com)

 

Chicago aquarium’s new baby dolphin is a boy

“What a crying shame that little calf won’t experience the home he should be living in!”

CHICAGO — Veterinarians at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium say a baby dolphin born two weeks ago is male.

A Pacific white-sided dolphin calf swims along with its mother Piquet, Tuesday, June 12, 2012, at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium. The baby male dolphin, which does not have a name, was born on Memorial Day.

The aquarium debuted the baby Pacific white-sided dolphin calf to photographers Tuesday. Shedd’s animal care and health team confirmed the calf’s gender through visual observation.

Aquarium officials say mother Piquet (pee-KEHT) is taking care of her baby and the pair swims together.

The calf started nursing last week and aquarium officials say he’s been gaining weight. Shedd’s animal experts say the baby dolphin weighs about 30 pounds – 5 pounds more than he weighed when he was born May 28.

The mother and baby dolphin will remain off exhibit for a few more weeks as veterinarians monitor and care for them.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/06/12/4557143/chicago-aquariums-new-baby-dolphin.html#storylink=cpy

Toronto Zoo Elephants Need Your Help!

The elephants at the Toronto Zoo – Iringa, Toka and Thika – need your help again. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) revoked the zoo’s accreditation last week because of a plan to send the elephants to a sanctuary. Now, some City of Toronto Councillors are wondering if they made the right decision when they voted to send the elephants to the PAWS Sanctuary in California.

Don’t let the AZA get away with these bully tactics meant to stop the transfer of the Toronto Zoo elephants to a large, natural-habitat sanctuary, and to intimidate other zoos that may want to do the same for their elephants.

Tell the City of Toronto Councillors that the world is watching!

Send a message to the City of Toronto Councillors, urging them to stay the course and send Iringa, Toka and Thika to the PAWS Sanctuary.

Personalize and submit the form below to send your comments to:

https://secure2.convio.net/ida/site/Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=2155

Related articles

• Correcting Misinformation About PAWS (preciousjules1985.wordpress.com)

Other Stories in the news regards the above:- 

Zoo chief says plan to move elephants at ‘an impasse’

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/zoo-chief-says-plan-to-move-elephants-at-an-impasse/article2418503/

Toronto Zoo loses accreditation over elephant move

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/toronto-zoo-loses-accreditation-over-elephant-move/article2406394/

Toronto Zoo Loses International Accreditation

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/04/18/toronto-zoo-loses-accreditation_n_1434740.html