The first complete hand-rearing of two neonatal finless porpoises.

ABSTRACT: Hand-rearing of marine mammals is an essential technique for the husbandry of orphans in captivity or the wild, especially endangered cetacean species. The purpose of the present study was to establish a method for successful hand-rearing and evaluate the nutritional state of neonatal finless porpoises. Two neonate finless porpoises maternally neglected at 5 days of age (Day 5) (neonate A, animal A) and Day 4 (neonate B, animal B) were hand reared. The amount of each tube feeding and daily number of nursings for animals A and B during the lactation period were gradually increased to 1,355 and 1,120 ml and 16 and 14 times, respectively. The mean daily caloric intake during the lactation period and average increase in body weight of animals A and B were 2,048 ± 207 and 2,206 ± 169 kcal and 6

SUBMITTER: Kasamatsu M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11781668 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature