Birthdate: July 23rd 1995
Born at: Vancouver Aquarium
Relatives: mother Aurora, father Nanuq, the halfbrothers Grayson, Oliver & Tuvaq (deceased), the halfsister Nala (deceased) and the daughter Tiqa
Qila was
born on July 23rd 1995 at Vancouver Aquarium and is the daughter of
Aurora and Nanuq. She was the first beluga to be born at Vancouver Aquarium,
apart from Tuaq whose mother Kavna was pregnant when she was captured. When
Qila was about seven years old she got a halfbrother named Tuvaq. Unfortunately
Tuvaq passed away three years later. In June 2008 Qila gave birth to her first
calf herself and her little female calf was named Tiqa. A while before Tiqa’s
birth the two belugas Kavna and Imaq had been moved from Qila and her mother
Aurora to another centre at Vancouver Aquarium. During Tiqa’s birth, that could
be seen at Vancouver Aquarium’s Beluga Cam, Aurora was not in the same pool as
Qila but a while after the birth Aurora was introduced to her little
granddaughter and since then Qila, Tiqa and Aurora have lived together.
Only a few days before Tiqa’s first birthday Aurora gave birth to another daughter. During the birth Qila and Tiqa were in the pool beside the one that Aurora was in but already the day after the birth they were introduced to Aurora’s calf and Tiqa was very curious about Aurora’s little calf.
Aurora's calf was named Nala in December 2010 but in the summer of 2010 she became ill and unfortunately she passed away on June 21st 2010. Today Qila lives together with her mother Aurora and her daughter Tiqa while Kavna and Imaq still lives in another centre at Vancouver Aquarium. Qila measures 3,5 meters and weighs 800 kilograms (weigth and length 2009). She eats 15 kilograms of fish each day (according to information from 2005).