Mojo-jojo
Minister (2k+ posts)
[h=1]Grieving Mother Dolphin Carries Dead Baby Calf for Days[/h] Posted on July 26, 2012 by Soren Dreier
It is a poignant mourning ritual that is rarely seen and even more rarely captured on camera.
Struggling against the rough seas, a dolphin carries her dead baby on its final journey.
While a boat full of tourists watched the heartbreaking scene, the baby dolphin slipped from its mothers back five times as she battled against the tide.
But on each occasion, she plucked it from the waves and continued her lonely voyage.
The dolphin was thought to be moving her dead calf away from the shore to lay it to rest in deeper water. A large gash, approximately a foot long, was visible across the calfs belly.
It is possible the infant was killed by the propeller of a boat perhaps even one of the many that take visitors out on day trips.
The pictures were taken by tourists in Chinas Guangxi Zhuang region, which is known for its dolphin-watching tours.
In the past, researchers have observed dolphins carrying or pushing stillborn calves or those that die in their infancy.
They sometimes stay with their dead baby for several days. Mourning rituals are rare in the animal kingdom, but have also been observed in whales, elephants, chimps and gorillas.
While experts are reluctant to attribute human emotions to animals, the behaviour seems to show that dolphins have some awareness of mortality and may even contemplate their eventual death.
Researcher Joan Gonzalvo, of the Tethys Research Institute in Italy, observed a similar scene of a mother carrying its dead calf on its back. He said that the mother seemed unable to accept the death.
