The narwhal's tusk, often likened to a 'unicorn of the sea', has intrigued scientists, leading to a recent study documenting playful behavior in these whales. Filmed in Canada's Nunavut during summer 2022, researchers noted narwhals engaging in what's called exploratory-object play, as they chased fish and mimicked their movements without attempting to catch them. This behavior is unexpected in adult animals, which usually prioritize survival over play. The tusk serves various proposed roles, primarily as a sexual characteristic among males, but this new insight adds a layer to our understanding of narwhal behavior.
Researchers used drones to film narwhals in northern Canada's Nunavut territory during the summer of 2022 and published their findings last month in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science.
The footage 'may be the first recorded evidence of play, specifically exploratory-object play, in narwhals,' the researchers wrote.
Typically in the natural world, we see play as quite rare in adult animals because they're busy, you know, getting on with life and maximizing their reproductive success and survival.
The tusk - actually a very long tooth - is seen primarily in male narwhals and appears rarely in females.
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