Spain Investigates Possible Attack on Oldest Iberian Orca After Gunshot Wounds Found

Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into a potential attack on Toñi, the oldest known Iberian orca, following the discovery of multiple gunshot wounds on the endangered marine mammal. Environmental organizations reported finding the injuries on the orca's dorsal fin and flank earlier this week.

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If you intentionally and consciously carry a weapon and shoot such an animal, it clearly indicates that you intended to injure that animal. So it is an attack by humans on these animals. That is clear.

Conservation groups WeWhale and Iberian Orca Guardians suspect Toñi may have been shot with 9-millimeter pellets, possibly from a shotgun. The wounds appear to be recent, as they were not visible in photographs taken just a few weeks prior. Janek Andre, founder of WeWhale, stated that the intentional shooting clearly indicates a deliberate attempt to harm the animal, describing it as a "human attack."

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She is certainly important because she shows the group in all sorts of ways how the Iberian orcas live. How they hunt, how they interact with each other, how they live together, how they communicate. She has the most experience with that.

Toñi, estimated to be around 60 years old, is a vital figure within the Iberian orca population, which is considered the most endangered in the world. Andre referred to her as the "grandmother" of the group, emphasizing her role in guiding younger orcas on essential survival skills, including hunting techniques, social interactions, and communication. The population, estimated at 30 to 40 individuals, is declining due to difficulties finding food, pollution, and injuries sustained from busy shipping traffic.

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It is therefore not only our cultural responsibility to protect and preserve these orcas. You know, it also says a lot about humanity, in my opinion, about how we deal with such situations.

Spanish Vice Premier Sara Aagesen condemned the act on social media, labeling it a "serious crime." The Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge has initiated the investigation, and Spain has also contacted Portugal, as the orcas were sighted in Portuguese waters near Faro before the wounds were discovered. While the motive remains unclear, the incident follows reports of orcas ramming boats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal in recent years. Environmentalists stress that shooting the animals is never an acceptable response, advocating for their protection instead of retribution.

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Whatsoever one's opinion may be about these interactions, shooting these animals can never be an acceptable answer. These orcas need protection, not retribution.