Two killer whales cruelly snared by hunters are to be displayed at the Sochi Winter Olympics.
The mammals , which can grow up to 22ft long and swim 100 miles a day, are set to be kept in a “small concrete tank” after a 4,614-mile flight from the far east of Russia.
Animal protection advisers said the move to exhibit the orcas – not really whales but members of the dolphin family – was cruel and a “callous attempt to cash in on the Olympics”.
Campaigners say the two killer whales, along with six others, are being held “in small pools” near Vladivostok.
A source told the Sunday People: “This is so wrong. The Sochi Dolphinarium is shamelessly trying to cash in on the Olympics by exploiting these creatures who should be roaming free in the wild.
“It goes against everything the Olympics should be about. It’s sickening.”
Campaigners say transporting orcas causes them stress, also that keeping them in captivity shortens their life and can make them aggressive.
The documentary Blackfish told how an orca called Tilikum turned “psychotic” as a result of his conditions and is thought to have killed three people at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida.
A spokesman for Whale and Dolphin Conservation said: “It’s a sad day for Russia, a sad thing for the Olympics and a very sad situation for two orcas who now will be flying across seven time zones to spend the rest of their lives in captivity.
“Whales and dolphins are intelligent. In captivity they live impoverished lives .”
The Winter Olympics begin in the Black Sea city on February 7.
The Games have cost £30billion and have been dogged by corruption and environmental scandals.
Campaigners have also called for protests against Russia’s oppressive anti-gay laws.