January 6, 1996
Web posted at: 3:45 p.m. EST
From Correspondent Lucia Newman
MEXICO CITY (CNN) -- The children of Mexico City got an emotional last chance to bid farewell to their famous and beloved killer whale, Keiko. U.S. movie-goers will remember him as the star of "Free Willy."
In real life, the 16-year-old orca, christened Keiko by his Mexican owners, is about to abandon his amusement park home of ten years, thanks to a multi-million dollar international rescue campaign called "Free Willy."
"There's no other orca in the world in which the park that owns them is even willing to consider donating that whale for rehabilitation and release into the wild," said Dr. David Phillips, director of the Free Willy Foundation. "It's absolutely unprecedented in the world."
Some U.S. animal rights groups claim that Keiko's pool is too small, the water too warm and his health too poor...that he should be set free to find his original pod somewhere off the coast of Iceland -- a feat never before tried.
But Keiko's Mexican owners insist he is in perfect health and is only suffering form a harmless case of viral warts.
The one thing no one disputes is that Keiko has reached sexual maturity. According to his trainers, the only way he'll ever be truly happy is if he leaves here and find what he perhaps needs the most -- a mate.
The plan is to transfer the three and a half ton whale to a new, state-of-the art marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation center, with a pool five times the size of his current home.
Just before dawn January 7, Keiko will be flown from Mexico City to his new aquarium in Newport, Oregon, transported in a container with ice and water.
But those who know Keiko doubt that the orca will ever make the transition from captive to free.
"I know his personality, I know he's very noble and fine," says trainer Karla Corral. "And he loves humans. He's like a human." (68K AIFF sound or 68K WAV sound)
Still, everyone is hoping for a happy ending -- like in the movie -- while in Mexico City, the children say good bye to an old friend.
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