As per a new study on orcas, mother killer whales in the north pacific made a “lifelong sacrifice” for their sons. Read to know more about the study.
Mother orcas and their lifelong sacrifice
A new study on orcas reveals that mother killer whales would make a “lifelong sacrifice” for the sake of their sons. The chance of reproducing reduces after a female orca gives birth to a son. According to the study, the amount of energy spent on feeding sons greatly compromises a mother’s health. “Mothers sacrifice their food and their energy,” stated Professor Darren Croft. Croft is a professor at the University of Exeter.
Throughout the killer whales‘ live, they maintain a close bond with their families. Female orcas become independent after growing. However, the males stay dependent on their mothers. They also share the food caught by the matriarchs. As per Professor Croft, the study is a “new insight into the complex social lives and family lives of these amazing animals”. Published in the Current Biology is aimed at better understanding the killer whales’ family life.
More on the killer whales and their lives
As per previous studies, mother and son orcas would “hang out” even after the male offspring becomes an adult. “They’ll even feed their sons salmon they catch. If a mother can get her son to become that big male in the population, then he’s the one that will sire (much of the next generation),” explained Prof Croft. “Our previous research has shown that sons have a higher chance of survival if their mother is around. We wanted to find out if this help comes at a price and the answer is yes. Killer whale mothers pay a high cost in terms of their future reproduction to keep their sons alive,” stated Dr. Michael Weiss. Dr. Weiss is an expert from the Centre for Whale Research and the University of Exeter.
