"SAN DIEGO -- In the first case to apply the slavery amendment of the U.S. Constitution to non-human creatures, animal rights and marine mammal advocates today asked a federal court to declare that five orcas are being held as slaves by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment."

"Plaintiffs are seeking an injunction freeing the orcas from 'bondage' at two SeaWorld locations and placing them 'in a habitat suited to their individual needs and best interests.'

The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California in San Diego by the nonprofit People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, three marine mammal experts, and two former SeaWorld orca trainers "

Environment News Service had the story October 26, 2011. [2]