Marineland's killer whale is ill, animal rights group says

An animal rights group says the killer whale at Marineland appears to be sick, but officials insist thatKiska, a mainstay of the Niagara Falls, Ont., water park for many years, is in good health.

Orca United recently sent CBC News photos which it says show signs of a troubling condition known as peanut head an indentation near the blowhole that is a sign of severe weight loss.

CBC News was given access to the park and Kiska. Her trainers say she has good girth and eats between 40and 55kilogramsof fish a day.

Marine mammal supervisor Tom Weston says she's under constant watch by two veterinarians, seven caregivers and a team of 14 outside consultants.

We check eyes, her breath, we observe every day, said Weston. I hope she outlives me.

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Kiska is the only killer whale living in captivity in Canada.

Ongoing protests and complaints about health problems at Marineland were in part what led to sweeping changes to Ontario's animal welfare laws last year.

The OSPCA now does mandatory inspections twice a year. It says it is investigating thisnew complaint.