Photo: GLENN NICHOLLS/AFP/Getty Images
A total of 55 pilot whales have died after stranding in groups on a beach in Scotland.
When the herd was sighted on the Isle of Lewis early Sunday, only 15 were left alive.
The marine charity British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) tried to refloat one of the most active whales, but it was stranded again.
The decision was made to euthanize the remaining ones to spare them unnecessary suffering.
The possible cause
The BDMLR later indicated that one of the dead whales appeared to have suffered a vaginal prolapse.
This led them to suspect that the entire herd was stranded due to a female giving birth.
Pilot whales are known for their strong social bonds and often when one of them has problems and is stranded, the rest follow her.
Attempts to provide first aid to the survivors continued throughout the day.
But, after trying to raise one of the whales, they found it again on the beach.
Then three others died, leaving 12 still alive: eight adults and four pups.
impossible to save
“The local veterinarian along with the Coast Guard, Fire and Rescue, and a forensic veterinarian concluded that the shallow beach and strong waves made it too unsafe to refloat the remaining animals,” authorities said in a statement at the time.
“Considering how long the pilot whales had been out of the water, plus the poor conditions, it was decided that they should be euthanized for reasons of animal welfare”, they concluded.
The authorities will carry out post mortem examinations of the bodies to conclude the cause of the stranding.
Pilot whales are small and belong to the dolphin family.
BDMLR Director of Welfare and Conservation Dan Jarvis told BBC Scotland that the longer the whales spent on the beach, the less likely they were to survive.
He explained that these animals “have evolved to not have the ability to support their own weight on land,” so “when they are stranded, can be crushed to death“.
“Pilot whales don’t usually make it to shore. They would be potentially disoriented, distressed by what led to the stranding, by the stranding itself, and by being surrounded by family members who were dying around them.”
“It’s one of the biggest incidents we’ve had in the last two decades.”, lament.
Local authorities are also working to clear the beach.
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See original article on BBC