By Zachary Fagenson MIAMI, Fla. (Reuters) – A push to free Lolita, a killer whale in captivity at the Miami Seaquarium for 44 years, inched forward on Wednesday when federal officials agreed to add her to the endangered species list. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said Lolita belonged on the list along with her wild relatives. The 7,000-pound (3.2-tonne) orca was captured in 1970 about 50 miles northwest of Seattle, according to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which petitioned for her endangered listing. "She's been there languishing in a bath tub for longer than all but one orca in captivity," said Jared S. Goodman, PETA's director of animal law.
Now endangered, captive Florida orca clears a hurdle to freedom
