SYDNEY, Australia – Australian media are reporting the tale of a lost baby whale near Sydney.
They say the humpback calf has bonded with a yacht it seems to think is its mother.
The 1- to 2-month-old whale was first spotted yesterday. Today it tried to suckle from the yacht and wouldn't leave its side.
Click here to watch video of the humpback calf
Rescuers have towed the yacht out to sea, and the calf has finally moved away from the boat. But it's still swimming nearby.
The baby whale appears exhausted, but rescuers hope it will continue out to sea and search for its mother or another pod of whales.
A wildlife official says "The outlook is not good." But he says rescuers are giving the calf its only option. He says it can't be fed, and they wouldn't know what to feed it because it's not weaned.
Rescuers towed the yacht out to sea, and the calf finally detached from the boat but still swam nearby, Australian Broadcasting Corp. and Channel 10 television news reported.
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