Dolphin mother carries her dead calf for days
A dolphin mother refuses to let go of her dead calf. The footage reveals the deep grief and social behaviour of these marine mammals.
Anyone who has ever doubted that animals form strong bonds with one another and mourn the loss of a fellow member of their species will be set straight by this story.
All animals have a complex emotional life.
A heartbreaking video recorded on 3 September near the city of Zhanjiang in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong shows a Chinese White Dolphin using its beak to keep the body of its lifeless calf above water as it swims. When the carcass sinks beneath the surface, it dives without hesitation to retrieve it.
Li Min, a dolphin expert at the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, who recorded the video, said the grieving mother may carry the carcass for days.
Li said the cause of the calf's death was unknown without an autopsy.
«The cause could be congenital health problems, an inexperienced mother, or environmental stressors such as noise or water pollution. It could also be the result of infanticide, meaning it was killed by a male due to intraspecific harassment«, according to the dolphin expert.
Dolphins are highly intelligent mammals that share many emotional traits with humans. Dolphin mothers and their young share a strong maternal bond, and calves typically remain close to their mother for several years until they become independent.
The Chinese White Dolphin, or Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin, is listed as «vulnerable» on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. It is under first-class state protection in China.
There are thousands of such videos on the internet, many of which have already been viewed millions of times, captivating people and evoking emotional responses in viewers. Even though animals grieve in different ways, one thing is clear: They too feel the loss very deeply.
When animals are used for food, clothing, experiments, or entertainment, families are torn apart, and the animals undoubtedly grieve profoundly over the loss.
If you are among the millions of people moved by these powerful videos, you can help animals every day by compassionately choosing a vegan lifestyle and in doing so saving the lives of nearly 200 animals each year.
