Nakai Injured?

September 27, 2012 Nakai SeaWorld captivity injury orcas

Just received the following report that Nakai (photo above via) might have been injured:

“We’ve just heard a rumour that Nakai (male , captive born at SeaWorld 1 Sept 2001 – mother Kasatka, father Tilikum by AI), currently held at San Diego SeaWorld, today hurt himself badly on his lower jaw. I’ve seen on a TINY thumb nail (as the original photo on ‘photobucket’ has been pulled).

The rumour suggests that he may have been trying to get over the chains that SeaWorld has erected and has ripped the tissue down to the bone – it appears from the thumbnail that the lower edge of both mandibles has been stripped back to the bone. It seems that a chunk of tissue the size of a dinner plate is gone – from a side profile it looks like the orca has a bottlenose dolphin profile on the lower jaw.”

If true, it reminds me of the injury Tekoa suffered at Loro Parque, when he tried to slide over a safety bar.

Trying to get more info, and will post if I do. Anyone else out there know anything about this, or have any pictures?

UPDATE: Have seen additional details that indicate that Nakai did, indeed, injure himself and that it is an extremely serious injury. I’ll post any updates I get on my Facebook Page.