Wellington, New Zealand – Over the last several days, a heartbreaking situation unfolded on two remote New Zealand beaches as hundreds of pilot whales got stranded and died. Daren Grover, the general manager of Project Jonah, said that none of the whales could be refloated or saved; a total of 477 whales perished. On Friday, 232 whales got stranded at Tupuangi Beach and on Monday, another 245 were found at Waihere Bay.
The devastating situation comes just two weeks after 200 pilot whales died on a remote Tasmanian beach in Australia.
In a Facebook post, the Department of Conservation commented on the most recent mass stranding in New Zealand:
In both stranding events there were some whales that were dead on arrival, with the remaining animals having to be euthanised, to minimise their suffering. Despite the events not being uncommon, any loss of life is saddening, especially when they are of this magnitude.
The agency noted that the decision to euthanize the whales was difficult, explaining why they were not refloated:
We do not actively refloat whales on the Chatham Islands due to the risk of shark attacks to humans and the whales themselves, so euthanasia was the kindest option.
The deceased whales will be allowed to decompose naturally.
(Screenshots via Facebook)
Follow the National Animal News Facebook page for more news, updates, and petitions.
