Story from news.com:
GROWN men were in tears as Colin the abandoned baby humpback whale struggled as he was dragged behind a boat before being left to thrash on a beach after he was injected with a fatal dose of anaesthetic this morning.
Soon after 8.30am (AEST) officers from the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) at the Basin in Sydney's northern beaches gave the calf what was believed to be as many as seven jabs of anaesthetic.
"It's a tragic end to a program that dozens of people have put their hearts and souls into," said NPWS spokesman John Dengate, describing the act of ending Colin's life as "harrowing".
NPWS spokesman Chris McIntosh said: "It was a sad moment, but it went quietly to sleep.
"The calf has been quietly and humanely euthanised.'
HOWEVER
"The local community was outraged at how the NPWS dragged the baby whale, bucking and thrashing, across 300m of water.
It was still thrashing when it was pulled up on the beach.
“I don’t understand why they didn’t let it die quietly,” said Michael Brown.
“It was obviously distressed. I’m 41 years old and almost collapsed.”
Mr Brown and other locals were crying as the baby whale - which had sought refuge in the bay for five days - was lashed by ropes to the NPWS boat as it continued to struggle. "
Vets who euthanased the animal said it was a smooth operation and the sedated animal remained stress free and calm throughout," it said.
It was later loaded onto a trailer to be taken to Taronga Zoo for an autopsy.
The autopsy will be aimed at finding clues as to why the whale was deserted by its mother - beginning the tragic story that has gripped the country.
This situation is just so sad and im pretty upset over it all. Who knows what horrors Colin would have faced out on his own without learning from his mother.
4 comments:
How tragic....
Ugh! Unless he was somehow endagering lives by staying in the bay, then I think they should've left him alone, even if it was to die naturally. Sometimes science tries to read too much into "why?"... perhaps the mother abandon him because she was ill, or simply not a good mother. It happens.
Yes I agree it's very sad. This situation has touched many people and I find it comforting to know if only that this many people actually care about the welfare of such creatures. However this can of course lead to conflict of opinion. At least little Colin is at rest now. Poor darling
Yes I agree it's very sad. This situation has touched many people and I find it comforting to know if only that this many people actually care about the welfare of such creatures. However this can of course lead to conflict of opinion. At least little Colin is at rest now. Poor darling
Post a Comment