In an even more shocking discovery, young dolphin corpses with matching injuries were spotted on the same shores as those where the porpoises were found. The reasons why bottlenose dolphins kill their young are unknown. However, some scientists believe it is due to mating instincts. In the wild, a lion will kill the young in order to make the mother available to mate again. Some researchers say the same principles may apply for the bottlenose dolphins. However, proof has shown the killing of young dolphins is not restricted to the male population, which only makes the case more perplexing.