Australia decides to sacrifice 90 stranded whales in Tasmania
Wildlife officials in Australia made the difficult decision to sacrifice 90 stranded whales on a remote beach in Tasmania, after adverse ocean conditions prevented them from being refloated.
On Tuesday night, more than 150 whales were found stranded near the Arthur River, on the west coast of the island, as reported by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment of Tasmania.
In recent mass stranding operations, machinery has been used to move the whales to more sheltered areas, where they can stabilize in the water before being released.
However, due to the adverse ocean conditions, it was not possible to send teams to this remote and inaccessible location, explained Brendon Clark, liaison officer of the Parks and Wildlife Service of Tasmania.
The public had been previously warned to stay away from the stranding site for safety reasons, as the whales, weighing between 500 kilograms and three tons, can pose a danger, Clark noted.
Whales are a protected species in Tasmania, even after their death, and tampering with a carcass is a crime.
Experts in animal behavior and marine scientists point out that the survival rates of stranded whales are low, and that these animals can only survive around six hours on land before starting to deteriorate.
Whales stranded near Arthur River, on the west coast of Tasmania. – Marine Conservation Program of Tasmania.
The Marine Conservation Program said it is working with the Parks and Wildlife Service of Tasmania in response to the mass stranding of whales and urged the public not to approach the animals.
“The response to stranding in this remote area is complex. If there is a need for assistance from the general public, a request will be made through various means,” they said.
“The sea is quite rough and the animals simply can’t get through the waves to get out. They keep turning and coming back to the beach,” said Shelley Graham, incident coordinator at the Parks and Wildlife Service of Tasmania.
Aerial images showed the whales scattered along the beach, some partially buried in the sand, while others were trapped in shallow waters near rocky formations.
Source: CNN
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