New York City's Coney Island Aquarium has raised several baby belugas
successfully, mainly by protecting the breastfeeding relationship. Two
females were housed together in large enclosure, then the large windows
were covered and the enclosure was surrounded by wooden barricades,
about 4 to 6 feet away, to keep sound down. Visitors were welcome to get
in line to look in small windows around the back of the enclosure, two
or three at a time. The line snaked outside the wooden barricades, with
signs all over them with "Shh, Baby Belugas Nursing". The belugas were
observed by scientists at all times, with their behavior (bumping mom's
nipple area to ask for milk, nursing, swimming near mom, etc) recorded
every few seconds. There were several aquarium personnel educating the
people at the front of the line NOT to touch the window or speak above a
whisper.
Hudson, the firstborn of 2 male babies, did get ill at around 4 months
old, and was separated from his mom for antibiotic treatment. At this
time he was fed pureed fish. When returned to his mother, he went back
to nursing, but he was never as large or developmentally advanced as
Casey (a homophone for KC "Kathy's Calf"), his half brother born a few
weeks later. Hudson didn't start solids on time (around the first
birthday) and died during his second year of life, if I remember
correctly. Later, a female calf was born (I think to Natasha, Hudson's
mom) and did well.
All this is from recollection, but we spent many an hour in that line to
get another look at the Baby Belugas. My DD even dressed as a beluga
calf for that Halloween (try making THAT costume!), and I still remember
all the words to Raffi's song about "the little white whale on the go",
though that same child is a college student.
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC, NYC
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