The plight of a lonely bottlenose dolphin and dozens of penguins that have been abandoned in a derelict aquarium since the start of the year sparked protests this week, with activists and ordinary people alike calling for the animals to be saved.
The female dolphin, nicknamed Honey, was captured in 2005 near Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture, a western port town that has become notorious for its annual dolphin hunt that was featured in the Oscar-winning 2009 documentary "The Cove," media reports say.
The practice of Japanese aquariums buying dolphins from Taiji came under heavy criticism following the release of the film. The hunt involves driving hundreds of dolphins into a cove, where some are taken alive for sale to marine parks, while others are killed for meat. The Japan Association of Zoos and Aquariums has since agreed to stop buying dolphins from Taiji.