Dolphins keep dying mysteriously at The Mirage Casino. In just the past six months, three bottlenose dolphins have died in the casino’s animal exhibit: In September, K2 died of a respiratory illness and Maverick died from a lung infection. Bella died in April after being treated for gastroenteritis.

“It’s an exceptional number of deaths in such a short period,” says Naomi Rose, a marine mammal scientist at the nonprofit Animal Welfare Institute in Washington, D.C. All three dolphins were in the “prime of life,” she says. The dolphins are being exposed to Las Vegas’ extremely hot climate and live in human-made pools that can’t emulate life in the wild where dolphins can dive deep into the water away from the heat, swim vast distances, and live in complex social groups.

We’re not saying that there’s any intent to harm the dolphins, or that the caretakers aren’t doing their best, but these dolphins should not be dying in the prime of their lives. It’s just not a healthy place for dolphins to live.

It’s simple – a bottlenose dolphin should not spend his or her life entertaining humans at the Mirage Casino on the Las Vegas strip. It’s both unethical and cruel to keep these highly intelligent and social animals in swimming pools.

To save the remaining 7 dolphins, The Mirage can send them to a sanctuary, like the Dolphin Project in California – where the dolphins will either be released once they’re ready or will live out their lives at the sanctuary in dignity and quality… instead of living in the desert in Las Vegas. A temporary closure of the casino’s animal exhibit is in place so that independent experts can investigate the dolphin deaths and evaluate the program. It’s a great opportunity to demand that they free the remaining dolphins.

Please sign the petition to tell The Mirage Casino to permanently shut down the dolphin program and free their remaining 7 dolphins!