The search for his family has so far been unsuccessful. In the wild, however, the killer whale cannot survive. A decision will have to be made soon.
Wellington – Ten days after a baby orca was stranded in New Zealand, worries about the future of the small marine mammal are growing. Experts no longer rule out the need to euthanize the killer whale, which was baptized in the Maori name Toa.
The search for the herd has so far been unsuccessful – also because of extremely bad weather conditions in the past few days, as reported by the New Zealand media. Toa is currently being looked after and fed by conservationists in a pool specially set up for him.
The calf was discovered in shallow water off Plimmerton Beach on the North Island on July 12. Since then, numerous volunteers have been looking for his family in the sea, so far without success. The whale is probably not even three months old and therefore too small to survive alone in the wild. He also urgently needs breast milk.
Veterinarians have done an “incredible job” to keep Toa stable and alive, but he has now been diagnosed with colic, marine biologist Karen Stockin told the New Zealand Herald. In addition, such a young whale is dependent on learning vital skills from its mother and the herd for its later life, according to the expert from Massey University in Auckland. Sooner or later there were only two options: to euthanize the orca or to take it to a facility specializing in whales, which does not exist in New Zealand.
Ian Angus, marine expert with the Department of Conservation, also said: “We are currently planning for a number of scenarios. While the orca’s health is still stable, we also need to be realistic when thinking about the long-term welfare of this animal. And that has to be our main concern. “
At the same time, Angus was optimistic that the herd would still be found. Another herd could save Toa as well: female orcas are known to be able to adopt whale calves as surrogate mothers. Many people in New Zealand follow the news about the whale baby every day and hope for a happy ending. dpa
