Orca that carried a dead calf 1600 km lost another calf

Scientists have found that the orca that became famous after carrying the corpse of her dead calf for more than two weeks in 2018 has lost another baby. The second calf was born on Christmas Eve 2024.

The team of scientists who had been monitoring the cub raised the alarm only a few days after its birth. They were worried about the health of the newborn whale, given the behavior of both the mother and the baby, NYPost writes.

"Early age is always dangerous for newborn whales – they have a very high mortality rate during the first year of life," the Whale Research Center wrote on Facebook.

"The death of any calf in a population of these whales is a huge loss, but the death of this particular orca is particularly devastating not only because she was a female who could one day potentially lead her own lineage, but also given the history of her mother, who had already experienced the loss of her child.

According to scientists, these killer whales generally lead a group lifestyle. They form families consisting of 3-4 generations and numbering from 5 to 15 individuals.

Now this species is on the verge of extinction, with only 73 killer whales left, and scientists are trying to understand what can help protect these marine mammals.

"They are teetering on the brink of extinction. Therefore, anything that reduces their ability to reproduce is a cause for concern," explained Professor Darren Croft from the University of Exeter in Southwest England.

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