At the peak of the whaling industry, in the late 1800s, North Atlantic right whales were slaughtered in their thousands. With each carcass hauled on to the deck, whalers were taking more than just bones and flesh out of the ocean. The slaughtered whales had unique memories of feeding grounds, hunting techniques and communication styles; knowledge acquired over centuries, passed down through the generations and shared between peers. The critically endangered whale clings on, but much of the species’ cultural knowledge is now extinct.
Whales are among the many animals known to be highly cultural, says Hal Whitehead, a marine biologist
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In April, Ocean Wise, the non-profit conservation organization struggling to shepherd the Vancouver Aquarium through the pandemic, admitted defeat and sold to a private company, Herschend Enterprises. Herschend, an American theme-park corporation that already owns two aquariums, says it will be business as usual when the doors once again open to the public.
For now, that entails maintaining and displaying the 70,000 animals currently housed in the aquarium, including sea otters, sloths, a green sea turtle, harbour seals, African penguins and Helen, a Pacific white-sided dolphin. Herschend has said the company will take the first two years “listening and learning” before making any changes to the renowned institution. A survey is circulating, says Herschend’s executive director, Eric Rose, to gather public input: “What are Vancouverites wanting to see? Is there a wish list? Is there something Vancouver did in the past that you’d want us to bring back?”
Meet the Other Social Influencers of the Animal Kingdom
Culture, once considered exclusive to humans, turns out to be widespread in nature.
A chimpanzee in the Chimfunshi wildlife sanctuary in Zambia, where one chimp began a tradition of wearing a blade of grass in the ear, which carried on after her death.Credit.David Pike/Alamy
May 7, 2021
Julia, her friends and family agreed, had style. When, out of the blue, the 18-year-old chimpanzee began inserting long, stiff blades of grass into one or both ears and then went about her day with her new statement accessories clearly visible to the world, the other chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi wildlife sanctuary in Zambia were dazzled.
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