Necropsy - Killer Whale Kona II and Fetus
Necropsy - Killer Whale Kona II and Fetus
Necropsy - Killer Whale Kona II and Fetus
3/11/2012
www.theorcaproject.com
Notes: Prior to reforms of the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) in 1994, holders of marine mammals for public display were required to submit necropsy reports (animal autopsy reports) for deceased animals, making the documents available to the public and scientific community. Presently, marine mammal parks in the U.S. are only required to provide a cause of death to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) which maintains Marine Mammal Inventory Reports (MMIR). Details of marine mammal deaths are now a closely guarded secret at U.S. entertainment facilities. The Orca Project acquired the following documents from the National Marine Fisheries Service (U.S.A.) via the Freedom of Information Act for deaths that occurred prior to implementation of the 1994 MMPA changes. For more information visit www.theorcaproject.com
Necropsy, Autopsy, Veterinarian, NOAA, NMFS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Marine Fisheries Service, MMIR, Marine Mammal Inventory Report, MMPA, Marine Mammal Protection Act, Killer Whale, Orca, Shamu, Death, Die, SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida, Kona, Kona II, Kona 2, fetus
3/11/2012
www.theorcaproject.com
HcBain, Dalton
GENUS/SPECIES: ID NUMBER: W A G E :
ADD~OX14-16
DATE OF N E C
SEX: Female R 0 P S Y : X
EXTERNAL MORPHOMETRICS:
(metric only)
WEIGHT:
294 cm 127 cm 60 cm
HISTORY : 7-10 day history of hyperactivity. No clinical explanation found. 5 days before death animal appgared to be circling to right and
less responsive to left as if a central nervous system problem was present. Three days prior to death the left blow flap was noted to be paralyzed. Aspiration of swelling showed normal cytology. Animal looking at personnel mainly with right eye. Rapid deterioration and death on 10-15-87, Drs. Cornell, McBain, Lynch and Walsh present. Measurements by Dr. Odell.
PAGE 2
ID 10.
00 7701
GENERAL EXTERNAL BPPEARAIQCE: .Animal is'in good flesh. No obvious external wounds worn related to circling.
SUBDERMAL CONDITION: (blubber, muscles, lymph nodes) Nodes of cervical neck appear enlarged and dark in color.
CRANIAL EXAM:
(ears, melon, pterygoid sinus) Left blow flap occluding 70% of passageway. Fibers of muscle bundles appear smaller. no signs of abcessation. Attempted to dig out peripheral nerves at root base.
Brain
no gross lesions.
UPPER RESPIRATORY SYSTEM: (nasal sacs, nares, larynx) White coloration of nasal area appears normal no yeast found. infarct in left blow flap 1x2d1 cm superficially.
Possible
LOWER RESPIRATORY SYSTEM: (trachea, bronchi, lungs, lymph nodes) Trachea clear, bronchi - froth present. 4-5 subsurface abcesses present in each lung. Av-erage 8x10 cm in size. Central area is liquified. Walls appear chronically thickened - may be active center or may have out grown blood supply.
PAGE 3
ID 1 . 0
00 7701
ABDOMINAL CAVITY: (lymph nodes) Ao excess fluid present, nodes of mediastinum appear enlarged.
LIVER: (biliary system) No gross lesions. PANCREAS : No gross lesions. SPLEEN: gross iesions.
NO
REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM: (testicles, ovaries) 6 cm fetus in right horn, 8 crn corpus luteum bn right ovary, 6.5 cm cyst on ./ right fallopian tube.
/
/
SPECIAL TESTS Cultures on all organs. ' Saved tissue for virus and heavy metals.
'
PAGE 4 GROSS B -
ID #O.
00 7 7 0 1
Animal's clinical signs of possible CNS disorder and tendency to circle to right may correlate with left blow flap paralysis. the only other substantial finding was the apparently chronic lung abcesses present bilaterally.
TENTATIVE DIAGNOSIS:
Open -. Difficult to connect lung problem with clinical signs. May have combination of problems. 1) Chronic lung abcessation 2) Possible nervous disorder - circling and left blow flap paralysis possibly related to vascular accident
clinical pathology review) This whale originally showed possible nervous system abnormalities which,were partially verified by the histologic pictures of what appeared to be facial nerve. The presence of large chronic abcesses in the lung is A difficult t o connect t o t h e clinical signs observed. glomerulonephropathy- noted on histology has been associated with immune mediated disease which may have an interesting relationship to the neuriti~. A specific cause of death for the animal is not apparent. While the lung abcesses could become a source of chronic infection it appears that they were present for an extclnded period. The possibi3ity of an immune related problem can not be ruled out at this point.
&
DATE :
10 - h P - P ?
SIGNED: