Many may think that only humans use midwives to help pregnant mothers give birth. But in the world of science, several animal species other than humans have also been found to use the services of midwives. In a recent study by researchers from Project CETI, sperm whales have been seen using midwives to help give birth.
On July 8, 2023, a sperm whale calf was born off the coast of Dominica. The pregnant mother whale is a member of a pod of 11 sperm whales, not all of whom are siblings.
Video and audio recordings found that members of the pod took turns helping the mother before, during, and after the baby was born. After the baby was born, members of the pod were seen helping it float because after leaving the womb it still didn't know how to swim properly. Only after the mother and baby were seen safe, did the pod members no longer gather.
Previously, only the Pseudorca crassidens, Orcinus orca, and Delphinapterus whale species were seen using midwives. Among primate species, only Bonobos, White-headed Langurs and Golden Snub-nosed Monkeys have been observed to use midwifery.
The study was published in the journal Science.
