Over time, we have learned adoption is an entirely human phenomenon. We adopt kids, pets, and even wild animals without raising eyebrows – it’s an everyday activity. However, in the animal kingdom, a species adopting a totally different one is extremely rare. That’s why when it happens, it immediately captures the attention of philosophers and researchers alike. Here, we discuss the few cases where animals have adopted other species, defying the survival-of-the-fittest concept.
What Is Animal Adoption?
Adoption in the animal kingdom slightly differs from what humans do. For animals, adoption refers to a species caring for and raising a young one who is not its biological offspring and sometimes not of the same species. This care may involve feeding, grooming, teaching, and protecting the adopted young one. It sometimes extends to emotional bonding.
Is Animal Adoption Normal?
Scientists have yet to reach a general consensus on whether animal adoption can be considered a normal occurrence. Some believe that the incidences already recorded are accidental, given how rare they have been. Others say it’s a form of misdirected parental instincts, with a few others seeing it as a potential evolutionary strategy.
Why Do Animals Adopt Others?
While it’s unclear why some animals adopt others, studies are still ongoing. However, the existing theories revolve around strong maternal instincts, kin selection and social bonding, mistaken identity, and empathy and intelligence.
Examples of Cases Where Animals Have Adopted Others
Animals adopting others have been observed in the wild throughout history. Here are some of the most notable examples:
A Lioness Adopted and Cared for Baby Oryxes
Naturally, lions are apex predators, and their diet includes oryxes. However, their social lives are incredibly rich as they always live and hunt in packs. In some cases, though rare, lions have been observed to extend their grace to cubs from other prides. They have cared for animals that would usually be considered prey.
For instance, in 2002, an extremely rare incident happened in the East African country of Kenya. A lioness that was later named “Kamunyak” (translating to “The Blessed One”) adopted and cared for at least 6 baby oryxes over time.
Kamunyak protected the otherwise considered prey from other predators. She even put her hunting escapades on hold to care for the adopted young ones. As expected, there was only so much the lioness could do as the adoptions ended tragically. Predators managed to take the oryxes from the lioness, but her actions remain baffling to date. It was one of the rare, beautiful anomalies in nature.
Bottlenose Dolphin Adopted a Melon-Headed Whale Calf
In 2021, researchers in French Polynesia were stunned when they noticed a female bottlenose dolphin had adopted a melon-headed whale calf, a totally different species. This went on for three years, with the dolphin caring for the calf like her own. She raised the adopted whale calf alongside her biological calf.
This case is fascinating because it involves interspecies adoption. However, it’s not the only one. In New Zealand, a bottlenose dolphin named Kiwi was observed caring for a common dolphin calf called Pee-wee. It was observed that the young one was suckling milk from Kiwi for survival.
A Beluga Whale Adopted a Narwhal
In 2016, researchers at Quebec, Canada’s Group for Research and Education on Marine Mammals were stunned to see a narwhal adopted by a beluga whale. Despite the two species belonging to the same cetacean family, Monodontidae, and inhabiting the Arctic, their interactions are rare. This is mainly because of the variations in the species’ hunting and migration patterns.
So when the narwhal was caught by a drone engaging in social and even sexual behavior with beluga whales, researchers were perplexed. They wondered whether the pod could produce a “narluga,” a hybrid of the two.
Interestingly, scientists have confirmed that a hybrid between a beluga whale and a narwhal once existed. This is after extensive research and observation of fossil records. However, a “narluga” has never been spotted alive.
A King Penguin Adopted a Skua
Researchers at the Goodhope Bay on sub-Antarctic Marion Island were astonished after they observed a king penguin caring for a skua chick. In the incident that happened in December 2007, a king penguin was observed tending to a recently hatched skua chick. It went as far as shielding the newborn from its own parents.
Unfortunately, the skua chick was reunited with its rightful parents after its short adoption following the intervention of an observer. As such, it is unclear how long the relationship would have gone on or how well they would have bonded.
According to researchers, this was an isolated incident, and it may have happened because the king penguin mistook the skua’s identification. Naturally, skuas are known predators of king penguin chicks.
A Lioness Once Adopted a Leopard
In December 2018, a strange incident happened at the Gir National Park in Gujarat, India. As they were going about their business, forest rangers observed that a lioness was nurturing a cub leopard alongside her two biological cubs.
More surprisingly, the biological cubs played and interacted with the adopted cub. This is unheard of, considering lions and leopards continuously struggle for resources in the wild.
Scientists attributed this rare phenomenon to maternal instincts. The cunning resemblance in the cubs might have also played a part. Unfortunately, the leopard cub passed away after a month and a half. A femoral hernia was identified as the cause of death.
Dogs And Cats
This is perhaps one of the most documented cross-species adoption cases among animals. There are countless incidences where dogs have adopted kittens and cats taking care of puppies. Scientists attribute this to maternal instincts, especially since dogs and cats are domestic animals.
When a mother is triggered by the sounds, scents, or cries of young, helpless animals, their maternal instincts kick in, prompting them to adopt the one in distress. As it turns out, this phenomenon is so common that it has often been observed in shelters or homes where mixed animals grow together. Dogs have been observed cuddling, grooming, and protecting young animals that aren’t biologically theirs.
The Key Takeaway
As seen here, adoption isn’t a strictly human affair; it also extends to some species in the animal kingdom. Whether due to maternal instinct, empathy and intelligence, or mistaken identity, animals have, over time, exhibited that they can adopt other species and live in harmony.
