Walrus makes history becoming first calf to be born in Middle East
She’s the star of the moment at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi. Two-month-old Kaya has made history, becoming the first walrus to be born in the Middle East or North Africa.
The park’s senior zoological director,Scott McCoy, says the calf’s birth is a huge milestone,not only for SeaWorld but for the zoological industry as a whole.
Kaya may be small for now, but under the care of staff and her watchful mum, she will gain nearly a kilo per day, with walruses typically weighing up to 1.5 tonnes as adults.
The marine mammal has a gestation period of around 15 months, and specialists monitored her mother, Smooshi, closely throughout her pregnancy.
“Smooshi is 23-years- old, and prior to Kaya’s arrival, her life here at SeaWorld Abu Dhabi was very different. She’s part of a population of walruses that are in total are five,” says McCoy.
“Walruses are very social animals, she spent a lot of time with her trainers, playing, learning, and doing fun enriching things,” he says.
But since Kaya’s arrival, there has been a “huge shift” and Smooshi bonded quickly with her calf.
“She’s now the teacher, so she’s very focused on her calf and making sure that her calf learns all the things that Smooshi learned throughout her life.”
Home for walruses is usually around the North Pole and the Arctic Ocean where they can be seen lying about the ice, often bellowing and snorting at one another.
Kaya joins other species, including penguins and dolphins, at the facility on Yas Island.
Sourced from Africanews
