SAN ANTONIO, July 26 — Three-month-old Kyara was one of the main attractions at SeaWorld’s San Antonio park in Texas.

But on Monday, park officials announced the killer whale died after a possible pneumonia infection.

The calf was the last orca to be born in captivity at a SeaWorld park.

"What the death of this young calf tells us is that these animals cannot thrive in concrete tanks,” lori marino from the whale sanctuary project said.

SeaWorld’s orca programme has been widely criticised after several high profile incidents involving its killer whales.

In 2010, a trainer was killed after being attacked in front of an audience in Orlando.

Attendance at SeaWorld parks has been falling amid bad publicity and criticism from animal rights activists.

Last year, the company announced it was suspending its captive breeding programme and phasing out the killer whale shows at its three SeaWorld parks.

But activists say that doesn’t do much for the 22 orcas that remain in captivity. — Reuters