Cool

Female Killer Whales Take Leadership Roles After Menopause: Study

Turns out killer whales revere their grandmas, too.

After observing 102 killer whales in the wild, British researchers have determined that female killer whales become key leaders in their pods only after they age out of fertility, according to a study published in Current Biology on Thursday.

The reason, the researchers report, is that these older females know all the best places to find their favorite fish when pickings become lean.

as a comparison--

Menopause, it turns out, is quite rare in the animal kingdom: human women and only two whale species outlive their reproductive lives in a major way, says the study's lead author, Lauren Brent, an associate research fellow in animal behavior at the University of Exeter. Female killer whales typically become mothers between the ages of 12 and 40, but they can live for more than 90 years as compared to the males who rarely make it past 50.

I think she would have wanted that

Deadly killer whale 'will stay at SeaWorld'

The killer whale that attacked and drowned its trainer will remain at the Florida marine park where the incident happened, officials said.

SeaWorld said its staff would continue to interact with the whale, named Tilikum, despite calls to release or destroy it.

Trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, died after the orca grabbed her from a poolside platform and dragged her underwater.

The park added that it would be reviewing its safety procedures.

It said that in the meantime it was suspending all orca shows.

"We're going to make any changes we have to, to make sure this doesn't happen again," said Chuck Tompkins, chief of animal training at SeaWorld parks.

He said Tilikum would not survive in the wild because it has been captive for so long.

He added that destroying the whale was not an option because it was an important part of the breeding program at SeaWorld and a companion to seven other whales there.

Well, they have a point. He probably would not survive in the wild. I have to say I'm glad they aren't going to euthanise him, although obviously they're going to have to be very, very careful around him.

More on Dawn Brancheau

Trainer decided as child to work with whales

The moment she saw her first Shamu show three decades ago, Dawn Brancheau knew she wanted to work with killer whales.

"It was her dream to do it," said Marion Loverde, Brancheau's mother. "She loved her job."

On Wednesday, Brancheau, 40, gave her life for her dream. Without warning, the killer whale Tilikum dragged her into his tank and she drowned, investigators said.

Whale kills trainer as horrified spectators watch

Trainer Dawn Brancheau, 40, was one of the park's most experienced. Her sister said Brancheau wouldn't want anything done to the whale that killed her because she loved the animals like children.

Brancheau was rubbing Tilikum after a noontime show when the 12,000-pound whale grabbed her and pulled her in, said Chuck Tompkins, head of animal training at all SeaWorld parks. It was not clear if she drowned or died from the thrashing.

Because of his size and the previous deaths, trainers were not supposed to get into the water with Tilikum, and only about a dozen of the park's 29 trainers worked with him. Brancheau had more experience with the 30-year-old whale than most.

"We recognized he was different," Tompkins said. He said no decision has been made yet about what will happen to Tilikum, such as transfering him to another facility.

How awful

1 killed in whale attack at Florida SeaWorld

SeaWorld trainer killed by killer whale

I have very mixed feelings about keeping large sea mammals in confined spaces and training them for performances. I realise it's an opportunity to educate, and also to research, but I have to agree with the spokesperson from PETA (and I can't believe I'm saying that, since I think they're a little too out there sometimes) that it shouldn't be unexpected to have something like this happen when whales are kept in the equivalent for them of a bathtub. Captivity can bring forth aggressive behaviour in animals as well as humans. According to reports, Tillikum is a male orca who had a history of issues in Canada, and who was then sold to SeaWorld as a stud and had issues there when a man was found on the whale's back years ago who had apparently snuck into the area and drowned in what 'could be called whale horseplay'.

The fact of the matter is that any animal, whether wild or kept in captivity, has certain instincts. If it were a matter of the trainer slipping and falling in, I could see the whale understandably going toward the movement and shaking the object as if it were prey. I don't think the animal could really be blamed about that, exactly. But some witnesses are saying the whale came out of the water and grabbed the trainer by the waist. That's certainly something different. She was apparently a veteran; she knew whale behaviour, but would not have been prepared for that.

I can imagine they'll put down the whale once an enquiry has been made, which is both a shame and perhaps a necessity, given whatever actual circumstances are determined. It will certainly mar the SeaWorld 'Shamu' image as well, which will impact money flow and research. But I am so sorry for this trainer, who no doubt did what she did because she enjoyed doing so, her family, and every every man, woman, and child who witnessed this horrible scene. Thankfully, it didn't happen when one of them was down by the whale.

How horrible all around. Thanks, YKWIA, for alerting me to the story.

PS The name of the trainer has been released. Her name was Dawn Brancheau. According to the Orlando Sentinel:

WESH showed footage of her from 2000, when she talked about her love for the whales. Anchor Jim Payne said Brancheau had told the station that she fell in love with SeaWorld during a trip there when she was 9. WESH promised a special report on Brancheau on the late news after the Olympics.

Whale Kills Trainer at SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium

So sad...