RESCUED BABY WHALE FATTENS UP.Byline: Mary Mary, the mother of Jesus Mary, in the Bible, mother of Jesus. Christian tradition reckons her the principal saint, naming her variously the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady, and Mother of God (Gr., theotokos). Her name is the Hebrew Miriam. Beth Alexander Daily News Staff Writer Gaining nearly a pound an hour, the baby gray whale that washed up on a Venice beach a week ago is making steady progress in a pool at San Diego's Sea World, park officials said Thursday. The still unnamed whale calf calf (kaf) sura; the fleshy back part of the leg below the knee. calf n. pl. calves has gained nearly 80 pounds since it arrived near death at the marine park a week ago Saturday, and the 1,748-pound baby is showing no signs of infection or illness, said Dr. Tom Reidarson, park veterinarian veterinarian /vet·er·i·nar·i·an/ (vet?er-i-nar´e-an) a person trained and authorized to practice veterinary medicine and surgery; a doctor of veterinary medicine. vet·er·i·nar·i·an n. . ``She's exceeded our expectations, I have to admit,'' Reidarson said. Still, Reidarson said he was only cautiously optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op . Even though the baby gray seems to be doing well, it won't be considered out of danger for a month to six weeks. ``Our biggest concern right now is infection. The young beached animals are very susceptible to infection because their immune systems immune system Cells, cell products, organs, and structures of the body involved in the detection and destruction of foreign invaders, such as bacteria, viruses, and cancer cells. Immunity is based on the system's ability to launch a defense against such invaders. are compromised,'' Reidarson said. ``They're tired. They're cold, thin from being undernourished. All are incredible stressors of the immune system.'' The baby gray, receiving care around the clock, is fed two gallons of formula through a tube every three hours. The formula is heavy cream, pureed fish and special powdered milk. ``She's swimming around the pool. When she's hungry, she'll swim up to people in the pool and start sucking sucking the application of suction to an object by the mouth. sucking drive instinctive enthusiasm of the neonate to suck on a teat, or any object which even remotely resembles a teat. on their hand,'' said Sea World spokeswoman Jonna Rae Bartges. ``It just seems like a positive sign.'' The whale washed onto a south Venice beach Friday after apparently becoming separated from its mother during the annual migration from the northern Pacific to the waters of Baja. When the calf failed to make its way back to sea by Saturday, it was captured and hauled by truck to Sea World. |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion