NEWS: Japan's bouncing baby killer whale

[thomas]

In order to prove that whale-related news from Japan do not necessarily have to be bad news, read the following article:


Japan's bouncing baby killer whale

The rare birth of a killer whale has been captured on camera in Japan. It is only the second time a whale calf has been born in captivity there.

The rare birth of a killer whale has been captured on camera in Japan. It is only the second time a whale calf has been born in captivity there.

The killer whale, Stella, gave birth to a calf after keepers noticed her swimming erratically.

This behaviour indicated the first contractions and a sign that the baby orca was about to enter the world.

At first only the baby's tail was visible but finally, five hours later, a bouncing female orca was born to the sound of cheers at Kamogawa Sea World.

The Iceland-born father "Bingo" circled the mother and child protectively after the birth.

It is the second time Kamogawa Sea World has seen the birth of a captive killer whale in its keeping.

It is the only aquarium in Japan to have succeeded in breeding this rare and majestic whale.

Worldwide there are only 40 other known cases of similar captive births.

The baby girl, at more than six feet long and weighing 28 stone, is still waiting to be named.

Related links: Kamogawa Sea World

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