Goro - orca
| Sex | Male |
|---|---|
| Died | January 21, 2005 Nanki Shirahama Adventure World |
| Cause of death | Acute pneumonia |
| Captured at | Taiji, Japan |
| Capture age | Approx. <1 |
| Capture date | October 1985 |
In October 1985, a group of several orcas was captured in Taiji, Japan. Out of the captured orcas, three were released back into the wild, while two were sent to the Taiji Whaling Museum. These two orcas were a male named Goro and a female named Nami.
In November of the same year, Goro was sold to Nanki Shirahama Adventure World, while Nami remained at the Whaling Museum. Upon arriving at the park, Goro met two other orcas named Ruka and Benkei. They performed together until Benkei's death in 1989, leaving Ruka and Goro as the remaining duo.
In April 1990, two more female orcas named Ran and Ai joined them. Ai died in 1995. Nanki continued their search for more orcas, resulting in the capture of additional orcas from Taiji Bay in 1997. Three of these orcas were purchased by Nanki, but only a male named Kyu survived the first few months.
Officials at the park had hoped that Goro would father a calf with Ran once she reached sexual maturity. However, it was Ran who carried a calf sired by Kyu. The calf survived for only two days, along with Kyu and Ran, who passed away in 2004, leaving Goro alone at the park.
On January 21, 2005, Goro died to acute pneumonia after spending five years in solitude at the park and over 19 years in captivity.