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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsSize doesn't matter to mommy bottlenose dophin who adopts orphaned whale calf
Off the coast of New Zealand, a group of marine biologists has discovered a mother bottlenose dolphin that had adopted a baby pilot whale.
The Kiwi-based Far Out Ocean Research Collective discovered the mammals sailing in the Bay of Islands in Northern New Zealand, and has now documented the pair on two separate occasions five weeks apart.
While its not unheard of that dolphins adopt other species babies, its very rare to record the phenomenon with such a significant difference in species size. Bottlenose dolphins can reach 300 kilograms, which is no small fryexcept that pilot whales can grow to two tons and reach six meters in length.
She might have lost her own calf, researcher Jochen Zaeschmar told local reporters of the dolphins behavior.
The Independent reported in 2019 that researchers in French Polynesia found a bottlenose dolphin that had adopted a melon-headed whale calf, and that the pair stayed together for three years.
Scientists dont know why exactly this happens, and hypotheses exist that its misplaced mothering instinctperhaps accentuated if a dolphin mother has lost her calf and finds a calf who has lost its mother. However the researchers in French Polynesia, pondering in their published paper on the finding, suggested it could be part of the mothers personality, which is an endearing thought.
Note from Amaryllis: I disagree with the "misplaced mothering instinct" hypothesis. I would say it's very well-placed mothering instinct! Babies need mothers and mothers know that. And it doesn't matter size, species or gender. (Thinking of gay friends whose kids have two daddies.)
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/new-zealand-bottlenose-dolphin-mother-adopts-pilot-whale-calf/?utm_campaign=newsletters&utm_medium=weekly_mailout&utm_source=21-05-2021
Sanity Claws
(21,849 posts)but I hope the mother dolphin doesn't deplete herself trying to nurse such a large calf.
onethatcares
(16,173 posts)it's because dolphins and whales are so much more developed in their family developments they don't toss anyone out.
But, what do I know???