Tahlequah, an endangered orca known for carrying her dead calf for weeks in 2018, is displaying the same heartbreaking behavior after the recent loss of her newborn calf.
Mother orca, known as Tahlequah or J35 , that carried her dead calf for weeks in 2018 is doing so once again, researchers say, in another sign of mourning over deceased offspring. In this photo provided by NOAA Fisheries, the orca known as J35 ( Tahlequah ) carries the carcass of her dead calf in the waters of Puget Sound off West Seattle, Washington state., on, January 1, 2025.
/ Photo: AP An endangered Pacific Northwest orca that made global headlines in 2018 for carrying her dead calf for over two weeks is doing so once again following the death of her new calf, in another sign of grief over lost offspring, researchers have said. The mother orca, known as Tahlequah or J35, has been seen carrying the body of the deceased female calf since Wednesday, the Washington state-based Center for Whale Research said in a Facebook post. 'The entire team at the Center for Whale Research is deeply saddened by this news and we will continue to provide updates when we can,' the post said. In 2018, researchers observed J35 pushing her dead calf along for 17 days, propping it up for more than 1,600 kilometres. The calf had died shortly after it was born, and the mother and her closely knit pod of whales were seen taking turns carrying the dead body. The research centre said roughly two weeks ago that it had been made aware of the new calf. But on Christmas Eve, it said it was concerned about the calf's health based on its behavior and that of its mother. By New Years Day, officials with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration were able to confirm that J35 was carrying her calf's dead body, said Brad Hanson, a research scientist with the federal agency. Hanson, who was able to observe her behaviour from a boat on Wednesday, said J35 was draping the dead calf across her snout or on top of her head, and that she appeared to dive for it when it sank from the surface. He said the calf was only alive for a'handful of day
Wildlife Animal Behavior Orca Tahlequah J35 Mourning Calf Death Puget Sound Endangered Species
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