 [Newser] Researchers see the first known case of infanticide among killer whales and it makes for a grim discovery. Following strange calls from orcas off the northeastern coast of British Columbia's Vancouver Island in December, researchers observed the first known case of infanticide among the whales. After tracking down the orcas and hearing a ruckus in the water, the scientists spotted a male orca with a newborn calf in its mouth, being chased by the calf's mother and other members of its family. As the male's mother attempted to intervene, the calf's mother "hit the male so hard that ... his blubber was shaking on his body and you could see blood flying through the air," ecologist Jared Towers tells the CBC. "We were really quite horrified and fascinated." |