Scientists say this female orca adopted a pilot whale calf - what if she just wanted a pet or companion instead?

Posted by tigerlily_orca@reddit | whales | View on Reddit | 33 comments

The article says:

Zwamborn said that while researchers can't know for sure, she and her colleagues suspect the killer whale took the newborn away from its parents.

She said it's possible that this particular orca has been unsuccessful in either getting pregnant or keeping a newborn orca alive and went out in search of its own whale calf.

Do you think anyone has considered that the orca may have wanted a pet, not an adopted calf? Instead of being a mother to the pilot whale, what if she just wanted a companion and rescued it like humans rescue dogs and cats?

[-]

Zealousideal_Walk203@reddit

Did u ever think women adopt cats and dogs bc they really want children?

[-]

No_Panic_4999@reddit

No but when they adopt primates it speaks to something more like that.

A female orca adopting pilot whale is NOT like a woman getting a cat. It's like a woman getting a chimp.

[-]

David_Headley_2008@reddit

Wish to see orca relations with other toothed whales as well, because imagine if orcas adopt a bull sperm whale, an incredible asset due to size and ability to dive deep

[-]

Hopeful_Abrocoma8946@reddit

they dont cause they eat baby sperm whales

[-]

skepticalG@reddit

So it's her kitten? I love that.

[-]

Armageddonxredhorse@reddit

I calls it mini mee

[-]

infrawgnito@reddit

What will the orca do with the pilot calf as it gets older? Will the pilot whale calf be accepted as a regular pod member? Would it hunt with the orcas? Interesting to follow this case.

[-]

HauntedButtCheeks@reddit

The calf was underfed and is assumed dead. The kidnapper didn't have any milk to feed the calf.

[-]

infrawgnito@reddit

It keeps getting sadder. 😭

[-]

SurayaThrowaway12@reddit

The pilot whale calf was quite emaciated and was not spotted again with the pod.

[-]

CaptainCetacean@reddit

Pilot whales are of similar intelligence to orcas, it’s likely that she adopted the calf as a calf, not a pet. There’s no evidence that cetaceans keep pets.

[-]

Jumpy-Aerie-3244@reddit

"adopted" is a human concept just like "keeping a pet".

[-]

CaptainCetacean@reddit

This isn’t exactly true. In many species, animals that don’t have young will often find young without parents (or with parents in this case lol) and care for them.

[-]

Jumpy-Aerie-3244@reddit

Sure. And that doesn't mean you can entirely assume that is what happened here or that the animals motive in these cases entirely matches the human concept of adoption.

[-]

CaptainCetacean@reddit

It’s likely similar. You forget humans are animals. We’ve been likely adopting children since before we were human.

[-]

Jumpy-Aerie-3244@reddit

Youve just made my point. In animal behavior work you will hear few terms more often than "likely".

[-]

Superb-Truck7399@reddit

Your initial claim was that adoption is a human concept. Within the context of animal behavior, there is absolutely a concept of adoption. You're responding to a reddit commit positing that this is the case here.

You know it happens with animals. You know that reddit comments aren't published research articles. What exactly is your point of contention? I know you've got a shovel and you're just digging, but it seemed rude to say it outright without asking.

[-]

Jumpy-Aerie-3244@reddit

I have a PhD in animal ecology. A lot of animal behavior science is based on thin evidence and a ton of conjecture.

[-]

AoE3_Nightcell@reddit

Based

[-]

freckleandahalf@reddit

Adopted.... kidnapped in this case

[-]

SurayaThrowaway12@reddit

Despite the prevalence of alloparental care amongst multiple cetacean species, the sighting of a female orca showing apparent alloparental behaviour towards a pilot whale calf off of Iceland is quite unusual, considering how xenophobic orcas tend to be towards even other orcas from different populations within the same "ecotype." This is in contrast to behaviours seen other delphinid species such as common bottlenose dolphins and Indian Ocean humpback dolphins.

Reasons why the female orca abducted/adopted a pilot whale calf could include using the calf for practicing maternal care, forming a maternal attachment to the calf, or even the calf trying to initiate a relationship with the orca. The sighting may offer insights into why

And indeed, there is no evidence that orcas and other cetaceans have any concept of pet ownership.

[-]

Mortreal79@reddit

Yeah this behavior has been observed across many species, keeping pets not so much.

[-]

CaptainCetacean@reddit

Iirc the only example of an animal having a pet is Koko the Gorilla, definitely not with cetaceans.

Orcas probably either see pilot whales as equals or food, depending on the population.

[-]

ribcracker@reddit

It's in interesting (though sad) thought that she adjusted to her need for raising another generation via a nontraditional path. Whether she stole the calf or happened upon it would be interesting to know just because of the implications on her initial intentions, but in general I personally wonder if this relationship fills a personal need she has from losing her calves prior or if this is a subconscious fulfillment of the more general species instinct to breed.

Either way I hope the best for them both.

[-]

Snork_kitty@reddit

The calf died (see article) - no food (milk) available from the orca

[-]

ribcracker@reddit

I did read it, but missed it near the bottom.

[-]

Snork_kitty@reddit

I almost did too - I guess they are assuming it's dead. Sad...

[-]

ribcracker@reddit

I wonder if she had milk from a recent calf loss it would have been a better outcome. It’s unfortunate that she most likely took the calf from parents for this to end this way like her first. I want to root for her but it nots so great for the birth parents of her adopted calf.

You’re totally right it’s sad all around.

[-]