by Donald Wood
Last updated: 1:30 PM ET, Thu March 17, 2016
Photo courtesy of SeaWorld Entertainment
On Thursday, SeaWorld officials announced that the theme park company will stop breeding orca whales.
According to FoxNews.com, SeaWorld Entertainment announced that the current generation of orcas-also known as killer whales-would be the last, as the parks will no longer breed the animals.
SeaWorld official said that its theatrical shows featuring killer whales would eventually be replaced with "new, inspiring, natural orca encounters ... as part of its ongoing commitment to education, marine science research, and rescue of marine animals."
Each of the SeaWorld parks-in San Diego, San Antonio and Orlando-would begin eliminating the orca whale shows over the next three years.
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SeaWorld Entertainment president and CEO Joel Manby released a statement, saying, "SeaWorld has introduced more than 400 million guests to orcas, and we are proud of our part in contributing to the human understanding of these animals. As society's understanding of orcas continues to change, SeaWorld is changing with it."
United States Humane Society CEO Wayne Pacelle released a statement, saying, "SeaWorld's commitment to end breeding of orcas is a long-held goal of many animal advocacy organizations, and we commend the company for making this game-changing commitment."
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