Reproduction
Female Killer Whales are ready to mate in their early teens. For the males, it can be from 15 to 21 years of age. There is no set breeding time of year, and it takes from 15 to 18 months after mating for the young calf to be born. The newborn Killer Whales can be from 6 ½ to 8 feet in length. They can weigh about 300 pounds at that time! They will drink milk from the body of the mother until they are about 2 years of age.
Females have a slow rate of reproduction, anywhere from one calf every 3 to 8 years. The females often stop mating around the age of 40. However, they still play a vital role for caring for the young in their pod which is very interesting. They can live to be up to 90 years of age in the wild.
Conservation Status and Threats
The large size of the Killer Whale makes it a creature that many thrill seeking hunters are after. Even though commercial hunting and guided hunts for them have been stopped in many countries the number of them that were depleted is hard to increase. Commercial fishing has been responsible for many of them suffering severe injuries or dying. Over fishing in many locations has also depleted the ability for them to find enough food for survival.
There are National and International programs in place to help with conserving the habitat for the Killer Whale. It is hard to come up with funding for keeping them in captivity due to their enormous size and the amount of food that they consume on a daily basis. There are locations where boat traffic is controlled to help reduce the risk of injury or death to them from propellers.
The IUCN doesn’t offer sufficient data in regards to the number of Killer Whales remaining in the wild. They are listed as endangered though and if conservation efforts aren’t continued and a success they could become extinct at some point.
(source:google/http://www.dolphins-world.com/)
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