Shedd Beluga Knocked Up Again

The Shedd Aquarium announced yesterday that Mauyak, one of its four female Beluga whales, is pregnant again. This is her fourth pregnancy since arriving at Shedd in 1997, however, she has only given birth successfully to one calf, Qannik, who is now 7. Shedd has had three Beluga calf births in all, including Bella, who was born to Puiji last summer.

While everyone at the aquarium is excited about the prospect of a new calf, Mauyak's mother Mukluk told reporters that she is none too pleased with her daughter. "I suppose she's just going to raise this one her own too?" she said. "She's going to be 26 with two calves now, while that deadbeat boyfriend of hers is out sleeping around with the other whales." That boyfriend, Naluark, is the father-to-be of Mauyak's calf and also the father of Bella. Beluga males do not typically foster a father-offspring relationship. Mukluk sighed, then said, "I guess it's just too much for a mother to expect her daughter settle down these days."