Teeth theft from endangered orca carcass being investigated.

A bizarre, macabre theft is being investigated in British Columbia this week, after someone stole the teeth from a dead orca. The Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) is investigating the theft, and while officials couldn’t say why someone would want the teeth, whale ivory can be a hot commodity on the black market. One thing is clear, however: It is very illegal to steal those teeth. The Canadian Press reports that the body of a deceased orca was lying near a boat launch on Vancouver Island waiting to be examined by biologists. The endangered whale had been found floating offshore late last week and was moved to shore for a post-mortem investigation. It is still not clear what killed the whale, though it has been confirmed it was pregnant with a full-term calf at the time of her death. Overnight, however, someone removed several teeth and damaged several others. Her jaw and teeth were in great shape and solid,” DFO co-ordinator Paul Cottrell told the news agency. "It looks like they broke off a couple, and there were a number that were sawed off, and those were cut off right to the gum." Necropsy on killer whale J-32 reveals orca had full-term fetus. (CBC) Necropsy on killer whale J-32 reveals orca had full-term fetus. (CBC) Under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, taking teeth from an orca carcass is illegal. Section 32.2 notes: No person shall possess, collect, buy, sell or trade an individual of a wildlife species that is listed as an extirpated species, an endangered species or a threatened species, or any part or derivative of such an individual. If a person is found guilty, they could be fined as much as $250,000 and receive up to five years in prison. While it seems bizarre that someone would desecrate the body of a whale for a couple of teeth, it is not rare. There is frequently a rush, of sorts, to procure souvenirs when whales wash ashore. Whale bones and teeth are often used in scrimshaw art, a perfectly legal venture except when done on ivory taken from endangered animals. In 2010, a U.S. scrimshaw artist was convicted of smuggling endangered whale teeth to use in his art. He obtained the whale ivory through a European smuggling network. In 2011, another American man was convicted of buying and selling sperm whale teeth. He reportedly sold three teeth for between $70,000 and $120,000. In the recent British Columbia theft, it is not clear whether the incident was tied to the black market, or simple vandalism. But it has upset a lot of people. The whale carcass will be donated to the Royal B.C. Museum… albeit a few teeth short.