Animal Rights Activists Chain Selves to Knott’s Dolphin Tank

Five animal rights activists protesting the captivity of marine mammals chained themselves to a dolphin swim tank at Knott’s Berry Farm Saturday, halting a noon dolphin feeding show, park officials and police said.

After the protesters had remained chained for about an hour, Buena Park police, summoned by security guards, arrested them. They were taken to police headquarters and booked on trespassing charges, then released with orders to appear June 29 in North Orange County Municipal Court.

Members of Orange County People for Animal Rights said for the last two years they had demonstrated against dolphin shows at Knott’s Berry Farm with signs and pamphlets.

“They have ignored us and ignored us in the past and they didn’t ignore us today,” said Gina Lynn, 22, of Cypress, who was among those arrested.

The others arrested, police said, were Jerald Daniel Friedman, 26, of Laguna Niguel; Kathy Louise Vandell, 45, of Redondo Beach; Sherry Lynne Trapp, 54, of Orange, and Robin Grace Schroader, 21, of Venice.

While the protesters harnessed themselves to the dolphin tank, about 20 picketers outside the park gates carried signs saying, “Thanks but No Tanks” and mourned the loss of a dolphin that died at the park more than a year ago.

Knott’s spokesman Bob Ochsner said the park had expected the demonstrators this weekend, but had not expected any to chain themselves to the tank. Some audience members booed, he said.

Ochsner denied that the dolphin shows are inhumane: “We actually provide an education-oriented message of marine mammal conservation to millions of guests a year who wouldn’t otherwise have an opportunity to see these animals up close.”