[Havoc]

I don't think she deserved it, often these people are very very dedicated to these animals and would never harm them. However people often forget that Orca's can be considered the tigers of marine animals when it comes to show animals.

And by that I mean that yes, they are very smart and yes they can be very affectionate but they remain wild animals who can turn on you in a split second. Yet for some reason land based animals are considered a lot more dangerous then their marine counterparts.

I'm no marine mammal expert but in my opinion any trainer should be able to see a change in mood with their animal so they are warned about such behavior in advance. For example, I would never get into a cage with a tiger, no matter how well trained he is, if I see he's having a bad day. If such behavioral changes are not present in marine mammals to begin with it makes for a very very dangerous situation because each time you get in the tank with them you take a leap of faith.

So no, she didn't deserve it, but it might have been her own fault for not paying enough attention before the show. Or it might have been the fault of her superiors who want the show to go on despite her warnings. Doing so would go without problems 9 times but the 10th time would be the fatal one.