Tokitae, Southern Resident orca, dies in captivity after calls to bring her home

The orca Tokitae, known to the Lummi nation as Sk’aliCh’elh’tenaut, died Friday, according to the Miami Seaquarium. The Miami Seaquarium said in a Facebook post that Tokitae began "exhibiting serious signs of discomfort" over the past two days. Tokitae received treatment from her medical team but died Friday afternoon due to what is believed to be a renal condition. Tokitae lived in a concrete tank at the Miami Seaquarium for the last 53 years. The Lummi Nation, activists and animal welfare advocates had been fighting for years to bring her back to the Salish Sea. Tokitae was the last surviving orca of the whales that were captured from Puget Sound and sold into captivity. She was violently taken from her pod in August 1970 near Whidbey Island's Penn Cove. Tokitae was sold to the Miami Seaquarium for about $20,000. She was believed to be just 4 years old. FULL STORY: https://www.king5.com/article/tech/sc...