Dead orca was pregnant in its full term, experts who examined the endangered orca in Vancouver Island say. It came as a surprise that while a necropsy is being done, dead Orca was pregnant and may have died due to pregnancy complications. But what's more shocking is to find that she had lost four of her teeth.
The endangered dead Orca was pregnant and somebody took four of her teeth while she was found lying in Vancouver Island beach, Thursday. The dead killer whale was examined by Victoria Marine Science Association scientists and named her J-32, with nickname "Rhapsody," King5 News reports.
Dead orca was pregnant, #found dead.
Someone cut out teeth from the dead orca found on Vancouver Island. https://t.co/Zr7HA80G5Y pic.twitter.com/Hy04yDG0kY
— Yahoo Canada News (@YahooCanadaNews) December 8, 2014
Dead orca found off B.C. coast is 'tragic' loss https://t.co/l6XQWB09rJ via @HuffPostBC pic.twitter.com/Eh4AU6jzm8 — HuffPost Canada (@HuffPostCanada) December 5, 2014
The orca was discovered floating lifeless near Courtenay, B.C. Paul Cottrell, Pacific marine mammals coordinator for the Canadian Department of Fisheries and Oceans stated to Yahoo News that death examination revealed dead orca had one tooth removed and three other teeth broken.
Scientists and experts examining the 18-year-old whale can't contain their feelings on how and who could do such crime. Dead Orca was pregnant! Such crime is against imperiled species they exclaimed. One expert said that possessing a part of endangered species is regarded as a crime based on Federal Species At Risk Act.
Victoria Marine Science Association experts revealed that examination is still being done to conclude on the reason for death of the 18-year-old orca. Given the fact that dead orca was pregnant, the fetus may have died first that resulted to infection to the mother orca. The orca's head will be sent to U.S. for further testing.
Huffington Post reports dead orca was pregnant when she died based on the necropsy and her death counts as a big loss to the endangered numbers of the orca species. That means there would only be remaining 77 killer whales thriving in the Washington and B.C. states.
Lance Barrett-Lennard, Vancouver Aquarium senior marine mammal scientist, stated that Rhapsody's death would mean a big loss for the species. Dead orca was pregnant and as she died at such reproductive age would mean a huge threat to the small population of orcas that's considered endangered.
Orcas or Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) population as of July 1, 2014 is 79. Annual updates on Southern Resident Killer Whales population are updated every July 1 and Dec. 31 every year, Center for Whale Research reports.
Dead orca was pregnant but her teeth were stolen by unscrupulous people who may be engaged in illegal trade. Federal Species At Risk Act states that if anyone would be found guilty for the offense, $250,000 penalty and up to five years sentence in jail could be the payment for the illegal act.
Dead orca was pregnant, where the tissues of mother orca and calf will be examined in laboratories in North America. The skeletons of mother orca will be contributed to the Royal B.C. Museum. Meanwhile, the result of the examination on cause of death will be expected in four to six weeks.
