British newspaper The Sunday People and the Born Free foundation have launched a campaign to try to free an orca found off the Dutch coast four years ago and now kept in a Spanish amusement park.

The orca, dubbed Morgan, was found in the Wadden Sea in a severely weakened state in 2010 and taken to the Dolfinarium to recover. The centre opposed efforts to release her into the wild and she was taken to the Loro Parque on Tenerife instead.

On May 14, the appeal court in The Hague will rule on whether the export licence was lawful. It is the latest in a long line of legal challenges to the Dutch government’s decision to move the orca to Spain. The appeal court ruling has been delayed several times.

Export

The export licence for Morgan was granted on the grounds the orca would be used for educational purposes and lower courts have said the licence was correctly applied.

Morgan’s supporters argue she is constantly attacked by other orcas at the Loro Parque centre and that she has been taught to perform tricks, which breaks the terms of the licence.

The Sunday People has now launched a fund-raising campaign, together with the Born Free foundation, to try to have Morgan moved.

‘The 15ft-long animal, who used to swim up to 100 miles a day in the wild, spends long spells just floating ­lethargically in her pool,’ the paper said. ‘She also chews on the concrete sides due to apparent boredom and stress, leading her front teeth to become dangerously worn down.’

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