Marineland orcas: Male 'sexually stimulated' to avoid inbreeding

A male killer whale at a closed marine zoo is being sexually stimulated by his trainers to stop him inbreeding with his mother.

Marineland Antibes shut in January but managers, the French government and animal rights activists have not agreed on where or how the orcas should be rehomed.

The closure comes ahead of a French law taking effect in December, which bans the use of whales in marine zoo shows.

The impasse means the pair - Wikie, 24, and her 11-year-old son Keijo - are still being kept in their pools and being cared for by their trainers at the facility in southern France.

Last week the activist group TideBreakers obtained overhead footage showing two trainers standing at the edge of a pool next to Keijo as he lies upside down.

One trainer holds on to a flipper as the other stimulates the whale, who can be seen writhing about in the water.

Wikie can be seen in an adjacent pool facing towards where her son is being held. Keeping them in separate pools permanently is considered harmful to their wellbeing as orcas are sociable animals.

The footage was taken on 12 August and managers at Marineland tell BBC News the action was necessary as Keijo is reaching adolescence and has increasingly strong sexual urges.