The mass stranding of pilot whales in Australia has already killed 380 whales. Although the rescuers have already saved a total of 88 whales, they are forced to euthanize some of the surviving whales as the death toll is expected to increase as the window for rescue closes.
A dead pilot whale calf lies on the beach in Macquarie Heads, Tasmania
Rescuers Forced to Euthanize Some Whales
Nic Deka, the manager at Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service, said that there are a few more I've animals that are viable to move. He also praises the hard work of rescuers who continue to rescue whales until nightfall and into Friday.
As of now, they are focusing on saving those that are viable to move and those that appear to have the most chance of survival as they continue their rescue efforts.
Around 60 conservationists and experts have volunteered in the rescue mission in the chilly waters of Macquarie Harbor, which is surrounded by the anguishing cries of the trapped whales.
According to the rescuers, the sight is emotional, seeing that the whales are vocalizing and displaying their bonds and pairings. They also observed that some of the whales refused to be saved and some return to the pod after being rescued, which results in being trapped for the second time.
It caused so much distress in the rescuers as they have to euthanize four of the trapped whales earlier today. They explained that t was all based on animal welfare grounds and have a few others that are currently under veterinary assessment.
The rescuers are now focusing on 2025 partially submerged whales to guide them back to the open ocean using boats fitted with special slings. But they are also currently looking at how to dispose of the carcasses of almost 400 dead whales.
Read Also: Around 270 Stranded Whales Continue to be Rescued in a Mass Beaching
Why Do Whales Beach Themselves?
Beaching or cetacean stranding refers to the phenomenon when dolphins or whales are stranding themselves on beaches. Around 2,000 beaching happens every year worldwide that most of the time end up with the dolphins or whales being killed.
However, beachings are rare enough that they are not considered a threat to any species. The strandings are usually the result of the animals getting sick or injured by one of the reasons, such as bad weather, old age, navigation errors, and when they hunt too close to the shore.
There are species of dolphins and whales that are prone to mass beachings like the toothed whales (Odontoceti) which includes all the whales with teet, dolphins, and porpoises. These groups are now to have close bonds in which when one is in trouble or sick, its distress calla will cause the members to come and follow it to the beach which results in mass stranding.
In the case of the pilot whales being trapped in Tasmania, experts believe that the pod may have been drawn into the coast to feed or it could also be due to the misadventure of one or two whales which led others to follow them, said Marine Conservation Programme wildlife biologist Kris Carlyon
At the same time, marine scientist Vanessa Pirotta believes that navigational errors could also be the reason for the beaching of te whales in Tasmania. But other experts have said that it could not only be due t human factors. There have been many theories regarding the beaching in Australia but as of now, they are focused on rescuing the whales.
Read More: Humpback Whale Found Its Way Back To Sea After Getting Lost in Crocodile-Infested River
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