Weight Gain For Keiko

NEWPORT, Ore. - Keiko the killer whale topped the scales yesterday at a svelte 9,580 pounds, nearly a ton more than when he arrived from Mexico 16 months ago.

Veterinarians weighed Keiko, a star of the movie "Free Willy," by having him swim into a small pool, placing him in a sling and lowering the water level.

He has gained 1,860 pounds since he was flown to the Oregon Coast Aquarium and a 2 million-gallon sea water tank built especially for him.

Keiko was suffering weight loss and a fungus infection in Mexico City, where he had spent 16 years in a warm saltwater pool at an amusement park.