43 pilot whales euthanized after stranding in Australia

Sydney, Australia, Jul 26 (EFE).- Australian authorities confirmed Thursday that they have euthanized 43 pilot whales that were stranded, along with 54 others that died the previous day, on a beach in the southwest of the country.

Peter Hartley, of the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions in Western Australia – where the incident occurred -, said the operation did not go as well as they hoped as they did not get the desired results in trying to save the whales.

“Veterinarians had assessed the whales and confirmed they were displaying signs of rapid deterioration. Two whales died of natural causes,” Hartley said in a statement on social media.

“Our incident management team then determined the most appropriate and humane course of action was to euthanize the 43 remaining whales to avoid prolonging their suffering,” he added.

The regional Parks and Wildlife Service on Wednesday reported that nearly a hundred whales stranded themselves at Cheynes beach.

In September 2022, most of the 230 pilot whales that stranded on a remote Tasmanian beach died in an incident two years to the day after some 470 pilot whales stranded in the same place, of which only around 50 could be saved.

Australia, like the neighboring country of New Zealand, experiences frequent strandings of whales and experts have not been able to clarify the exact reasons.

However, it is believed that they may be linked to illnesses, navigational errors, sudden changes in the tides, noise pollution, predation or extreme weather conditions. EFE

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