SeaWorld CEO admits sending staff to infiltrate animal rights groups

An internal SeaWorld policy that directed staff to pose as animal rights activists to glean inside information has been quashed.

The controversial American amusement park operators admitted yesterday that the company had ordered staff to go undercover after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) accused SeaWorld employee Paul McComb of spying on them.

USA Today reported that SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby told analysts on a conference call Thursday morning that the company's board has "directed management to end the practice in which certain employees pose as animal rights activists."

He said McComb, a former HR employee, had been transferred to another department and returned to work after a period of leave.