World | UK
Beached whale freed but may have to be put down
British wildlife experts and the coast guard on Friday struggled to save the life of a sick, 8-metre-long whale that was freed from a mudflat where it had been stranded off the coast of southern England.
- AP
- Published: 00:04 August 2, 2008
London: British wildlife experts and the coast guard on Friday struggled to save the life of a sick, 8-metre-long whale that was freed from a mudflat where it had been stranded off the coast of southern England.
The northern bottlenose whale was beached off Langstone Harbour for around 12 hours before coast guards helped it return to the water. Marine wildlife experts said it had suffered severe dehydration, which had caused kidney failure, and it is almost certain to die.
It will be put down if it becomes stranded again, rescuers said. "You always go down there hoping that you can do something," said Faye Archell, a director of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation. "If this animal was left it would have a much longer, lingering death; clearly the animal is suffering." The 6-tonne whale had likely not eaten in at least 48 hours, Archell said. The deep-sea mammals do not drink water, but get their liquids from the squid they feed on. Television images on the British Broadcasting Corp and Britain's Sky News last morning showed local fire crews hosing down the whale when it was stranded.
Updates throughout the day showed the freed animal bobbing in the harbour. "It's not showing any interest in leaving the area at all," Archell said. Marie Stevens, of Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals charity, said that a large crowd had gathered at the scene.
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