"Free Willy" killer whale star Keiko dies at 27
By Inger Sethov
OSLO (Reuters) - Keiko the killer whale, star of the "Free Willy" movies, has died at 27 of pneumonia in a Norwegian fjord, ending campaigners' hopes of returning the people-loving mammal to life in the wild.
The world's most famous orca, a magnet for tourists who spent most of his life in captivity, died about 15 months after turning up in Norwegian waters, officials said on Saturday.
Millions of dollars was spent on preparing the 10-metre animal for the wild after the 1993 movie "Free Willy" prompted a campaign for his release, but Keiko never rejoined killer whale company.
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