The Sad End for a Lonely Humpback

The sad news came this morning that Colin, the baby humpback whale who was abandoned and had been found trying to nuzzle and nurse on yachts in an Australian harbor, was euthanized when wildlife officials determined that the increasingly weakening whale could not survive on his own.

The story, especially if you're a parent, is especially poignant, because of the familiarity with the helplessness of an infant, and the utter dependence that a baby has upon its mother for survival. The thought of Colin going from boat to boat, trying desperately to find his mother, or at least a nipple to latch onto is heartbreaking.

Sadly, this was not one of those stories in which the animal kingdom shamed the human race in terms of social benevolence, though there are many other examples of animal altruism where individuals sacrifice or exhibit behaviors that promote the common good. Wildlife officials had tried to bring Colin out to passing herds of humpback whales in open water, but were unable to find a calf that would "adopt" him or let him nurse. For all intents and purposes, his pretty much sealed his fate.

I can't speak for the moral obligations of animals, but this account is a reminder to me that those of us who are humans, particularly those who count themselves as Christian, have an obligation to the fatherless and widows. The Bible reminds us that, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world," (James 1:27) and there are a number of other references in Old Testament that speak specifically about justice and mercy towards orphans and widows. As we look to care for those who have nothing, we need to make sure that we're also looking out for those who have nobody.

I think about this in the context of the pro-life movement. I am proudly pro-life, and my belief as an evangelical Christian that birth begins as conception certainly influences that conviction. What I'd challenge myself and everybody who considers themselves pro-life is to consider that when unwanted pregnancies end in births instead of abortions, there are many cases where the birth mother may have absolutely no interest in raising a child, and immediate adoption isn't feasible (though I wonder why this is given my limited understanding of the massive demand to adopt babies here in the United States). The net result is that you're going to have a lot of babies who are unaccounted for with nowhere to go but orphanages and similar temporary (hopefully) living arrangements. What can we do to to make these the best places possible? What can we do to love the orphans? What can we do to take the air out of the rationale from a single mother that, "It would be more cruel to bring an unwanted child into this world"?

This is why I believe the challenge of the pro-life movement isn't simply, or even primarily the overturning of Roe v. Wade. What a victory it would be to make a mother's decision to carry a baby to term such a no-brainer, knowing that she will be freely given every ounce of necessary pre-natal care, and her child can look forward to a life of love, dignity, and wonderful opportunities - even if it's not with her.