She moved the world in 2018, when she pushed the body of her stillborn baby for seventeen days. According to the Whale Research Center, based in Washington State (United States) and cited by The Guardianthe orca named Tahlequah is said to be in mourning again. She was reportedly seen off the coast of that state, carrying the body of another deceased calf.
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It was a small female, named J61 by the researchers. Although initially optimistic about his chances of survival, they soon suspected health problems. “The start of life is always dangerous for calves, with a very high mortality rate in the first year. J35 [le nom scientifique de Tahlequah] is an experienced mother, and we hoped that she would manage to keep J61 alive during these first critical days,” the center wrote on December 23, in a press release relayed by the British daily.
-A huge loss
The Whale Research Center called the death of a calf a “tremendous loss” but added that that of J61 was “particularly devastating” not only because she was a female who could one day be reunited his own lineage, but also because of the tragic history of Tahlequah, reports the BBC. The orca has now lost two of its calves out of the four births recorded. Both females.
The event is all the more dramatic as these orcas are in danger of extinction, according to scientists. A recent assessment, conducted by several federal agencies, found that their population has fallen to just 73 individuals. This figure, confirmed by the Whale Research Centre, includes only 23 females of breeding age.
