A female killer whale found dead on Vancouver Island could have died because it was pregnant, scientists with the Victoria (B.C.) Marine Science Association said on Sunday, according to CBC News.
The 18-year-old orca J-32, nicknamed Rhapsody, was pregnant with a full-term fetus when it was found dead off the Canadian coast on Thursday, according to a postmortem which was performed with a sage smudging ceremony by a local Indigenous man.
"It was a very moving and powerful way to send Rhapsody on to rest and thank her for the information she and her calf have provided to science," researchers from the Association said.
According to the Association's current theory, the endangered orca might have died after the calf perished first, resulting in an infection, which could have significantly contributed to or caused the mother's death, the VMSA said via Facebook.
However, the orca's head has been sent to a lab in the United States for MRI testing to determine if there was any acoustic damage, though that is not suspected, reported KING 5 News, adding that lab results of the dissection are pending.
Before Rhapsody was loaded onto a boat Saturday, four of the whale's teeth had been sawn off and stolen by thieves, authorities said on Sunday, who are searching for the culprits.
Following the tragic passing of the 18-year-old orca, it's reported that about 77 southern resident orcas remain in the world, with the animal's population struggling with low birth and survival rates, CTV reported.
Earlier this fall, an orca calf was presumed dead seven weeks after its birth. It's been three years since the J, K or L pod produced a baby that survived more than a year.
