The Orca Who Carried Her Deceased Calf Over 1,000 Miles For 17 Days Is Pregnant Again

Aug 02, 2020 by apost team

The bond between animal mothers and their babies is incredible and inspires us all. We often think that animals lack the emotions, mentality, and intelligence that humans have. Most of the time this is not the case.

One story of an orca mother named Tahlequah who carried her dead calf over 1,000 miles across the Canadian coast will surely warm your heart and leave you in awe at the passionate love the mother has for her baby. This isn't the end of the sad story though, this happened in 2018, and the good news is she is now pregnant again.

It can be said that a mother's love is universal, transcending all emotions and feelings throughout time and space. Of course, a love so powerful can be utterly devastating as well. 

Tahlequah was found carrying her dead calf for nearly 17 days, reports Kiro 7. She traveled approximately 1,000 miles before finally realizing that she had to let her child go. The poor mother wished to hold onto her child as long as she could until it was absolutely necessary to leave him. The sight of Tahlequah and her child has touched the hearts of many who hope that she finds happiness again one day.

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The incident occurred in 2018 and was caught on drone footage. Tahlequah was swimming during her migration along the coast of Canada. Recent drone footage shows that she is pregnant again, however, she is just one of several orcas who are presumed to be pregnant.

Orcas have a family system made up of three groups. These groups, called pods, can contain between 5-30 orcas. Pregnancy among the pods usually occurs around the same time, however, the success rate of conception has recently decreased and more calves are being lost. Experts have released commentary on the reason behind this.

They claim that research and studies have shown that the failures of such pregnancies are due to a lack of Chinook salmon prey. They gain most of their nutrition from said prey. Killer whales are currently endangered due to an imbalance within the marine ecosystem. Chinook salmon prey, their main source of food, is also endangered.

It is difficult to for killer whales to find food in the ocean because of fishing industries near the coastlines. Of course, pollution also has a role to play in orcas being endangered. Coral reefs are dying, and more species are going extinct by the hour.

Experts hope that by spreading awareness of the threat of extinction of such precious animals, fishing industries will leave space in the ocean for our marine creatures to feed. Unsuccessful pregnancies have led to a decline in the orca population. The footage shows that the pregnant orcas are currently in their final stages of pregnancy and we can only hope that this helps the orca population.

Tahlequah's pregnancy is great news for everyone who has wished that she find happiness. Her love for her children was evident in the footage from 2018, and we know that she will be an amazing mother.

We think this story was incredibly heartwarming and will do our part in saving the killer whales. What do you think about Tahlequah's journey and the endangered orcas? Be sure to ask your friends for their opinions as we would love to hear from them as well!