KEIKO

Keiko

Have you ever seen the movie series "FREE WILLY"? The star of that movie was an orca, or killer whale, named Keiko. Keiko was born in the Atlantic Ocean near Iceland on 1978. As we know, orcas live in a group. On 1979, Keiko was captured and taken to Saedyrasfnid, an Iceland Aquarium.

Three years later, Keiko was purchased by Marineland in Ontario, Canada, where he began his training and performed for the public. But, he was unfortunate because he was sold again to Reino Aventura (Mexico City Amusement Park) for $350,000. On 1992, Keiko was 14 years old and Warner Bros produced a film named FREE WILLY. The plot of the movie was about a young boy who saved a killer whale, portrayed by Keiko. Keiko was made famous because of the film.

In 1993, FREE WILLY was a popular film around the world. Media coverage detailed that Keiko was in unacceptable living condition in Mexico City, and that animal protection advocates were looking for a new home for Keiko. Earth Island Institue began to search a location for Keiko so he could be brought back to health and trained for potential release to the wild. The Foundation announced that Keiko would live at a new $7.3 million rehabilitation facility at the aquarium and finished it in December 1995. 7th January 1996, when Keiko was ready to be moved (which was sponsored by United Parcel Service), many people came and saw him brought into a plane. The pool was filled with natural sea water. In his new home, Keiko gained more than 1000 pounds and his skin lessions began to heal.

Keiko's staff began to introduce him to caught live fish. And his skin lessions had disappeared on his new home. After an intensive search, the decision was made to reintroduced Keiko to the wild in Iceland on 1998. On his first day out of the netted bay pen in the summer of 2002, Keiko began spending considerable time in the group of whales. He was in good physical condition. But, on December 12, 2003, The FREE WILLY foundation reported that Keiko had died in the Taknes Fjord, Norway. Keiko's veterinarian believed that Keiko was died because of pneumonia.

I choose Keiko for my hero because he was a great animal. He could comfort many people in the world from his film. Keiko was like a human, he needed to be protected and cared for by humans in his world. He had a good talent, and he inspired me to be a multitalented human and useful for life.