'World's loneliest orca' listed as endangered

Lolita, a killer whale, has spent the last near half-century in captivity, and currently resides at the Miami Seaquarium in Florida.

Activists have long protested the conditions Lolita faces in captivity. Now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has released a ruling that could potentially lead to a big change for Lolita.

NOAA says, "The best available genetic information and sighting history of killer whales supports recognizing Lolita as a member of the southern resident killer whale population."

The southern resident killer whale is the only killer whale group listed as endangered by the u-s fish and wildlife service. What all that means is that Lolita has now been listed as part of an endangered species.

Does this mean Lolita could or should be released to the wild?

Here's the problem: She's been in captivity for a long time. Lolita may be dependent on humans for feeding, and could also have issues with socialization, as well as a disease.

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