Narwhals are empirically cute — they’re the closest we’ll ever get to seeing real-life unicorns. However, new drone footage from the WWF in Canada suggests these “unicorns of the sea” are also pretty hardcore. The video illuminates what narwhals actually use their “horn” for, and let me tell you, folks, it isn’t fuzzy happy times.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
Based on the footage, scientists have determined the narwhal uses its tusk — which is actually a giant canine tooth — to stun its prey before consuming it. Until now, the narwhal’s tusk has remained a mystery, considering narwhals are endemic only to the Arctic waters and would like to stay as far away from humans as possible. Also, contrary to popular belief, not all narwhals have tusks — typically, it’s only the males who have them.
“The tusk is used by narwhal to hunt Arctic cod,” Brandon Laforest, senior specialist of Arctic species and ecosystems at WWF-Canada told Gizmodo. “Previously the tusk has been the source of a lot of mystery since it’s such a unique feature.”
Personally, we think being metal as hell makes the narwhal that much more lovable.