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Article: Movie Star Whale Keiko Dies of Pneumonia
- Article from:
- AP Online
- Article date:
- December 14, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Associated Press. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Associated Press. (Hide copyright information)
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DOUG MELLGREN, Associated Press Writer
AP Online
12-14-2003
Dateline: OSLO, Norway
Keiko the killer whale, who was the star of the "Free Willy" movies, swims in his tank at the Oregon Coast Aquarium in Newport, Ore., in this Jan. 22, 1998 file photo. Keiko has died, his caretakers said early Saturday, Dec. 13, 2003. The whale, who was 27, died Friday afternoon, Dec. 12, 2003, after the sudden onset of pneumonia in the Taknes fjord in Norway. (AP Photo/Jack Smith, File)
For kids, Keiko the killer whale was the charming hero of "Free Willy." For biologists, he was the focus of fierce debate on whether captive animals could be returned to the wild. Keiko, who died of pneumonia this week, never ...