Researchers film a humpback apparently tending to its stillborn calf
A mother repeatedly returned to her dead calf for hours in what may be the first documented post-mortem attendance of this kind in a humpback whale.
Researchers documented a female humpback staying near and repeatedly returning to the body of her stillborn calf off Australia’s Gold Coast.
Why this is wild
Similar behaviors have been seen in dolphins and killer whales, but this appears to be the first detailed scientific documentation in a humpback whale.
Important caveat
Scientists do not claim they can prove the whale was grieving in the human sense. The behavior could reflect grief-like emotion, maternal attachment, confusion or instinctive caregiving.
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Tahlequah, the orca who carried her calf
In 2018 an orca carried her dead calf for 17 days, drawing international attention to this kind of behavior in whales.
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