Cookie

Cookie, English for Bǐnggān(饼干), is an 11 year old female Russian transient killer whale that lives at Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park. She was captured sometime in the summer of 2015 in the Sea of Okhotsk, Russia. Cookie is the matriarch of the Shanghai pod.

Stats

Age

11 years old (est.)

Gender

Female

Status

Alive, Captured 2015

Current Location

Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park

Capture

Age at Capture

3 (est.)

Date of Capture

Summer of 2015

Location of Capture

Sea of Okhotsk, Russia

Birth

Estimated Date of Birth

2012

Location of Birth

Pacific Ocean/Waters of Russia

Immediate Family

Calves

Cody (Born 2021)
SHOP-OO-B2301* (Deceased 2023)

Naming

Origin of Name

Named after the food

Pronunciation

cook-EE

Also Known As

Annei
Kysails
Vyrga

Transfer History

Transfer #1

Summer of 2015 - Sea of Okhotsk to TINRO?

Transfer #2

2016 - TINRO? to Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park.

Transfer #3

November of 2018 - Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park to Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park.

Ecotype

Total

Russian Transient

Capture and Shanghai

Cookie was caught in the Sea of Okhotsk during the summer of 2015, presumably along with Pànghǔ although this has never been confirmed. After her capture, she was brought to TINRO and eventually met Shawn II(it is not known if he was captured before or after them). Photos from the three at TINRO suggest that Dora was captured in the fall of 2015. All of the whales were sold and sent to Dalian Laohutan Ocean Park in 2016. The temporary facility for the whales is owned by Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park, and the purpose of the move was for basic training as the stadium at Shanghai was not yet complete. In November of 2018, they were shipped to the main park and the exhibit where they currently live at was opened to the public. Two years later, there was a mix up between the female's IDs. It was confirmed by trainers at the park that Cookie is the smaller female, not the largest. It was also thought she was nicknamed Vyrga, or more popularly known as "Kysails" by the park, however these names sourced from the French Orca Community. Annei(pronounced Annie) also came up, but nothing can be found of where it originated from.

The First Calf

Cookie pregnant1 — A pregnant Cookie. Photo provided by Ningyo La Mar d'Aprop.

In 2021, Cookie and Dora were briefly taken out of shows. Cookie did return, however photos of her being pregnant surfaced in June of 2021. These images are quite like previous ones of other whales, such as Kasatka or Katina, with a large girth. On the 10th of September, 2021, Cookie gave birth to her first calf, a male later named Cody(Fat Beans). She showed interest in the calf as well as being very confused by what happened. Unfortunately, she didn't know how to care for her newborn, leading them to be separated. Because of this, Cody currently being fed off of artificial milk.

The news was released a month after the birth on the 9th of October. The sire, though sparked controversy, was Pànghǔ. The shows at Shanghai were stopped until early October when they resumed at a sudden. So far, Cody and Cookie have no come in contact since Cody's birth.

In late June of 2023, Cookie's second pregnancy was announced by China Cetacean Alliance. In early July of 2023, she gave birth to the calf, though sadly they passed away shortly after being born. No other details are known, and Cookie has since resumed participating in shows. As a result of her calf's death, Cookie was reintroduced to Cody for the first time since his birth in late August of 2023. They have been paired together frequently since, and it is hoped that the pair will be in future shows together.

Personality and Appearance

Cookie is the matriarch of the Shanghai pod as she has a dominant personality, though she is also a very gentle whale when working with trainers. She is the smallest female but can be recognized for her unique eyepatches. It is thought that Cookie has been physically doing fine since the birth of her 2023 calf. She spends most of her time with Pànghǔ and Dora.

Gallery

If you are going to use any of these photos, please credit the photographer and/or the provider. PLEASE REFER BACK TO THIS WIKI. NOT ALL PHOTOS CAN BE USED!!

Many photos can be found from Inherently Wild.