A leading marine biologist has said an orca calf who was miraculously saved by teenagers after being abandoned by his mum may have to be euthanised if he is not accepted into his old pod.
The calf, named Toa meaning brave or strong in Maori, was been under the care of staff and volunteers from the Department of Conservation for nearly a week.
Toa was separated from his mother and found beached in a rockpool by two teenagers in Plimmerton in north Wellington, New Zealand, on July 11.
Massey University marine biologist Karen Stockin has said she holds concerns for the calf due to his inability to learn ‘critical, vital life skills’ while estranged from his natal pod, the NZ Herald reported.
The calf, named Toa meaning brave or strong in Maori, was been under the care of staff and volunteers from the Department of Conservation for nearly a week
Ms Stockin explained because the calf is likely less than three months old, Toa is too young to survive in the wild without being reunited with other whales.
She commended the efforts of national and international vets and volunteers who had done ‘an incredible job’ of keeping the estranged orca alive and stable.
However, Ms Stockin said volunteers had two options, transport the calf to a purpose-built facility – of which there are none in New Zealand – or euthanasia.
On Monday night, Toa was diagnosed with colic meaning the orca could be distressed or may continue to develop serious health issues.
Ms Stockin described the most recent diagnosis as the first indicator that something was going wrong, but added the orca was stable on Monday morning.
Toa was separated from his mother and found beached in a rockpool by two teenagers in Plimmerton in Wellington’s north on July 11
Massey University marine biologist Karen Stockin has said she holds concerns for the calf due to his inability to learn ‘critical, vital life skills’ while estranged from his natal pod
‘But as I mention, we’ve got the health of the animal to consider and then we’ve got the welfare of the animal to consider and they’re not to be considered independently’, she said.
The biologist said the process of finding Toa’s natal pod was not something that could happen overnight and was a complex and complicated scenario.
She said even if his pod was found, the logistics of transporting him to that location would be risky and potentially stressful for the calf.
A variety of scenarios would need to be considered including Toa’s recognition of his pod, his re-acceptance into the group and if there was a female lactating.
Orca pods have been known to adopt lost children, so long as a female orca is lactating and can support the youngster.
Ms Stockin said the harsh reality of the situation was that calves up to three months were rarely reunited with their natal pod, even if the group was found.
Toa is currently behind held in a small pool, with TVNZ reporting $10,000 had been spent so far in caring for the orca, excluding the cost of DOC staff.
Ms Stockin explained because of his age, which is likely less than three months, Toa is too young to survive in the wild without being reunited with other whales
However, Ms Stockin said volunteers had two options, transport the calf to a purpose-built facility – of which there are none in New Zealand – or euthanasia
Asked if it was fair on the 2.15 metre long orca to be held in the enclosure, Ms Stockin said there was still ‘some degree of debate’ due to mystery around his age.
She said they were safe to say the orca was less than three months old, which in itself was a concern.
Also worrying the biologist was the amount of DOC staff and volunteers who were handling Toa, which could make the wild animal too reliant on humans.
‘There’s a great deal of tactile activities going on. It’s fair to say, the argument keeps coming back that yes they’re very social animals but yes to a point,’ she said.
‘We’ve got an animal that has been so habituated to human contact it’s increasingly difficult to even imagine it will be successful in reintegrating with the amount of human contact it’s had.’
Orca Research Trust founder Ingrid Visser previously told AAP that volunteers held hope they could reunite the calf with his pod.
The marina biologist said that even if his pod was found, the logistics of transporting Toa to that location would be risky and potentially stressful for the calf
‘We put a man on the moon. Surely we can get a whale back to its family,’ she said.
Dr Visser said they would most likely put a boat with the pod and then take Toa to it by road or boat.
‘It’s difficult to transport by helicopter. You don’t want a 200-pound animal thrashing around inside a chopper,’ she said.
New Zealand is home to up to 200 orcas, according to the Department of Conservation.
Orcas, also known as killer whales can be identified by their distinctive black and white markings and very tall, prominent dorsal fin.
Orca pods are known to venture into Wellington Harbour throughout the warmer months but rarely stick around.