The stranding of an orphaned orca has kept New Zealand on its toes during the last two weeks. The baby killer whale, thought to be between two and six months old, had been found with minor injuries on the beach of Plimmerton, New Zealand, two weeks ago. Since no pod could be seen in the direct vicinity, the young killer whale was moved to a sea pen where volunteers cared for his injuries and fed him with a special latex teat every four hours.
Meanwhile, a nationwide search for the orphan’s pod was put in motion to reunite the youngster with his family. Besides the Department of Conservation (DOC), whale rescue teams and the local iwi tribe Ngāti Toa Rangatira, hundreds of civilians spent hours staring out at sea to find the mother of the young orca that was affectionately named Tio - “warrior” in Maori.
Due to a strong storm and flooding, Toa was eventually be moved to a holding pool in a nearby parking lot where the heartfelt care continued. However, it was not well received by all. Some scientists started questioning whether “keeping an infant whale on a type of human life-support for so long was still ethical”. An orphan subjugated to human care so early might never be able to live by itself, and with no adequate long term care facilities in New Zealand, might leave euthanasia as the only viable option.
Sadly, the argument was soon dissolved when Toa’s condition deteriorated suddenly. Vets rushed in to help but were unable to save him. Though everyone was aware that an infant orca without a mother would not do well for long, the news left the helpers devastated. Still, Whale Rescue focuses on the positive and the huge public effort, by concluding that "Toa passed quickly, surrounded by love, with his last days made as comfortable as possible."
The full story can be found here: New Zealand falls for stranded baby orca, but dilemma looms over ‘life support’ | New Zealand | The Guardian
With the news about Toa’s passing reported in this article: Baby orca, Toa, dies in New Zealand after failed search for mother - BBC News