Baby Beluga, oh, baby Beluga
“Baby beluga in the deep blue sea, swim so wild and you swim so free…”
Baby belugas stay with mom for a long time in the wild, nursing for up to two years and continuing to associate with them for many years after. Adult belugas are highly social and form groups consisting of a few to hundreds of individuals.
Captive breeding programs have not been successful in captivity, with a survival rate of less than 50%. The calves that survive are shipped between oceanaria to supplement captive stocks, separated from their mothers and forced into artificially formed social groups.
This week, WDC is asking Georgia Aquarium sponsor Coca-Cola to extend their family focus to belugas. Last week, AT&T removed comments from their Facebook page (good job!), so now we’re going straight to the source with a direct email to Coke to let them know:
“Coca-Cola, you strive to protect the Arctic for polar bears – protect it for all species, and protect the species that live there! Say NO to sponsoring the Georgia Aquarium! Wild Russian belugas don’t belong in captive US tanks!”
Check back next week for a new beluga fact & another action alert, and thank you for helping keep belugas safe and free!
