Locked up and sick. This was the sad end of “Flipper”, the dolphin that conquered everyone’s heart. This program was one of the best known during the 1960s, although it has an unexpected ending off camera.
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The series was broadcast between 1964 and 1967
He followed the example of Lassie, which featured a dog. In this case, a series was made set in the Coral Key Park marine reserve, in the state of Florida. It was a real success in its time.
A total of four dolphins played Flipper. All these animals were trained by Ric O’Barry, who after this series dedicated himself to demanding the freedom of these aquatic mammals at all costs.
The series experience involved many dolphins being captured and trained for the public. Ric O’Barry felt bad about this situation, even more so before what happened with the animals that were filmed.
Kathy was one of the dolphins used in the series
Females were used as they were less aggressive. Also, her skin was smoother and she looked better on camera. In this case, Kathy was one of the four specimens destined to play the central character.
The truth is that Kathy died in 1968, sick and alone in a pond. Her caretaker, Ric O’Barry, realized something was wrong with the animal. Therefore, he tried to swim with her and tried to cheer her up in the water.
O’Barry apparently held Kathy down while she stopped breathing on purpose. She writhed and stopped living, sinking into the water. She was suffering from sadness and was sick without the vets knowing that she had it.
It is said that dolphins commit suicide: they have the will to stop breathing until they die. Apparently this is what happened in this case. A rather sad ending for an animal that caused so many smiles in the audience.
Aquatic mammals and highly intelligent animals
However, they do not receive respect from humans. Recently, news broke that a super pod of nearly 1,500 dolphins was killed off the Faroe Islands. It is considered to have been an ecological crime.
Instead, it happens that these animals are careful with humans. For example, it happened that several dolphins rescued a young man who had been lost at sea for 12 hours. Something that should call us to reflection.
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Did you know the famous series of the 60s? Broadcast between 1964 and 1968, it was a true television success. Curiously, the animals used in that program did not have a good outcome.
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