Contingency plans for Toa
The Department of Conservation says it doesn’t have a time limit on how long stranded baby orca Toa will remain in captivity, and is making regular assessments on his health.
When asked whether Toa was in distress or if they were concerned for his welfare, DoC’s manager of marine species Ian Angus told the AM Show that the welfare and health of the orca was “at the centre of its decision making”. They had been listening to expert commentary nationally and internationally, including by Massey University marine biologist Karen Stockin who says an open and frank discussion about euthanasia needs to start happening.
Angus said they have been monitoring movements including how often he breathes and his swimming behaviour. The young orca calf is being cared for by DoC staff and volunteers since becoming separated from his mother at Plimmerton.
Angus said after discovering he had a bout of colic on Monday night, they had adjusted his food. “It gave us a fright but last night the feeding went better.”
Angus said the best case scenario was that “we will have a healthy orca calf that we can relocate to the pod”. However, they still needed to find that pod. “We also have to plan for deterioration. At the moment we have contingency plans for all scenarios. We want to be optimistic but also, we have to be realistic.”