Almost the last word.
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| Title: | Almost the last word. |
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| Authors: | Follows, Mike (AUTHOR), Edge, Sam (AUTHOR), van Someren, Heidi (AUTHOR), Porter, Tenelle (AUTHOR), Roos, Marthinus (AUTHOR), Fenton, James (AUTHOR), Shaw, Hillary (AUTHOR), Hinton, Carl (AUTHOR) |
| Source: | New Scientist. 2/28/2026, Vol. 269 Issue 3584, p46-47. 2p. 1 Color Photograph. |
| Subjects: | Killer whale, Animal behavior, Diet, Top predators, Marine mammals, Pandemics |
| Abstract: | The article explores why orcas, despite being apex predators, do not typically attack humans. It notes that there is only one documented case of an orca biting a human, likely due to a case of mistaken identity. Orcas have diverse diets based on their populations, with some focusing on fish and others on marine mammals, and humans do not fit into their learned hunting behaviors. The article also discusses recent unusual behavior among Iberian orcas damaging yacht rudders, suggesting possible reasons such as increased prey abundance or changes in human activity during the pandemic. Additionally, it touches on the social and intelligent nature of orcas, which may contribute to their lack of predation on humans. [Extracted from the article] |
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| Database: | Engineering Source |
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| Abstract: | The article explores why orcas, despite being apex predators, do not typically attack humans. It notes that there is only one documented case of an orca biting a human, likely due to a case of mistaken identity. Orcas have diverse diets based on their populations, with some focusing on fish and others on marine mammals, and humans do not fit into their learned hunting behaviors. The article also discusses recent unusual behavior among Iberian orcas damaging yacht rudders, suggesting possible reasons such as increased prey abundance or changes in human activity during the pandemic. Additionally, it touches on the social and intelligent nature of orcas, which may contribute to their lack of predation on humans. [Extracted from the article] |
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| ISSN: | 02624079 |
