In Australia, orcas disembowelled and then swallowed a great white shark. Bad news for this already endangered species.
Last October, a jaw-dropping sight occurred near Cape Bridgwater (Victoria): Residents found the dismembered carcass of a three-meter-long great white shark on the beach, Geo magazine reports.
At the time, experts blamed the attack on a group of orcas. The reason? Experts have made the connection with another series of attacks in South Africa, where orcas have become accustomed to killing great white sharks to eat their livers.
Photo credit: istock
According to researchers, killer whales “imported” this hunting technique to Australia. This theory has been confirmed by orca DNA taken during the shark’s postmortem (the autopsy was performed on one animal, editor’s note), the special issue explains.
“Examination of the shark revealed a direct bite to the pectoral fin. So, between the fins below the belly, they are very common for orcas that suck the liver.Adam Miller, professor of aquatic ecology at Deakin University, told ABC Radio Melbourne.
Photo credit: istock
The person who led the analysis explains “Some white sharks may have met the same fate due to the many aggressive interactions recorded at Kangaroo Island and Neptune Island in South Australia, but this has not been confirmed.“.
Are white sharks in danger?
According to the expert, a few days before this gruesome discovery, a group of about seven orcas had been spotted in neighboring Bridgewater Bay. Note that two groups of orcas inhabit Australian waters.
These are two different familiesThere are very unique eating behaviors, but behaviors are sometimes learned and shared between groups», underlines Adam Miller.
Photo credit: istock
At this time, the predators that killed the great white shark have not yet been identified. We can say that this isolated phenomenon is starting to worry experts.
“Frequent orca hunting could cause problems for Australia’s great white population, which already has very few breeding individuals (…) From a conservation point of view, it’s important, but we don’t know how often it happens, so we’ll keep it. Keep an eye on the situation», concluded Adam Miller.
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