Listless Keiko dines and 'jogs'

EXPERTS have started feeding Keiko, the killer whale, seven weeks after he was set free in Iceland, while local volunteers help police shield the Free Willy star from thousands of fans along a Western Norway fjord.

The six ton orca turned up in the Skaalvik fjord a week ago, after swimming 870 miles in what many saw as a search for human companionship.

Keiko's keepers had not fed him since he left Iceland in hopes that the black and white orca would tire of human attention and set off to hunt.

"He got breakfast and dinner on Sunday," said Fernando Ugarte, a marine biologist on Keiko's support team, said.

He said the whale will get up to 110 pounds of fish per day. Ugarte said blood tests showed a slight increase in Keiko's white blood cell count, possibly indicating a cold or stress.

He also said Keiko needs more exercise.

"He went jogging today," Ugarte joked, explaining that Keiko played and swam hard as they led him around in a small boat.

Although no decision has been made, Ugarte said they may seek a Norwegian fjord where Keiko can be cared for through the harsh northern European winter. Experts fear he could starve to death if left alone.