The story of a Bay of Islands dolphin that adopted a calf of another species has gone global.
The Northern Advocate and Northland Age revealed last month that Kiwi, a bottlenose dolphin thought to have lost its own calf after becoming stranded in the Kerikeri Inlet five years ago, had adopted a common dolphin calf dubbed Pee-wee.
Kiwi was rescued but her calf was never seen again. She had not been seen with another baby until she was spotted with a common dolphin calf in January.
Proof that she was feeding the calf came when a Fullers dolphin boat crew member photographed Pee-wee suckling while swimming upside-down under Kiwi. The sighting was off Onewhero Bay, near Kent Passage. Marine mammal expert Jo "Floppy" Halliday said inter-species adoption among dolphins was not unheard of but it was extremely rare. The crew on board the boat were ecstatic, she said.
It was not understood how Kiwi could produce milk when she had not been pregnant, but Ms Halliday said dolphins might be able to "switch on" lactation at will.
