For the first time, record killer whales 'kissing lips' to reconcile

The act of kissing lips and lightly biting the same tongue is said to be the way the killer whales reconcile with their fellow men after the battle.

Researchers witnessed an unprecedented intimacy between two killer whales in Spain's Loro Parque zoo. In the study published June 18 in the journal Zoo Biology, the authors argue that this may be a way of reconciliation after animals.

Picture 1 of For the first time, record killer whales 'kissing lips' to reconcile
This may be a way of reconciliation after animals.

The video shot at the zoo showed a killer whale touching his lips and lightly biting his fellow tongue. They call it a "gentle tongue bite" in which the animal touches the tongue of the same species but does not bite. This behavior is one of the many social interactions observed by the research team for more than 100 hours of recording.

The intimate behavior of the killer whales in the Parque Loro Zoo reveals that the animal has some social characteristics like humans . "We have conducted a detailed analysis of the social relationships that killer whales show and how they reconcile after the harsh confrontations," the team said.

When there is a conflict, killer whales often bite, push and appear aggressive with their fellow humans. Scientists also point out that killer whales will swim smoothly after reconciliation. The results of the study may help to increase understanding of killer whales' natural behavior, while improving the life of the species in captivity.

 

  1. Close up of killer whales hunting giant sperm whales
  2. The killer whale also suffers from menopause