The Surprising Phenomenon of Animal Cross-Adoption

Animals, including primates like gorillas and bonobos, sometimes adopt the young of others for various reasons. Adoption can confer evolutionary advantages, such as providing caregiving experience for females without offspring and increasing their future young's survival chances. Adoption can also bridge social groups and boost social status. However, there can be negative outcomes, such as competition for attention between adoptive and biological offspring. The reasons behind animal adoptions can vary, from empathy and fascination with infants to misplaced maternal instincts or potential future favors. Orcas, in particular, have been observed adopting baby pilot whales, although the exact reasons remain a mystery.