At least 26 of the marine mammals died; experts and volunteers set up a task force to carry out the rescue
About 160 whales-pilot ran aground on a beach near the city of Dunsborough, in the southwest of the state of Australia, this Thursday (25). At least 26 of them died. The area is a popular region with tourists, and about 236 km south of the state capital, Perth. Staff from the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and veterinarians from Perth Zoo were sent to the site to assist with the rescue and assess the situation of the marine mammals, attempting to transport them aloft sea or sacrifice them. “We understand there are four groups of 160 pilot whales spread over a length of approximately 500 metres,” the Western Australian State Parks and Wildlife Service said in a statement. Facebook. Based on previous strandings, “these events generally result in euthanasia of the stranded animals as the most humane outcome,” a department spokesperson said in a statement.
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According to the University of Western Australia, pilot whales are known for their very strong social bonds, so when one of them is in trouble and becomes stranded, the others often follow. In Australia, the worst incident occurred in 2020, when 470 pilot whales were stranded in a remote area of the island of Tasmania, of which only a hundred were rescued and taken to the high seas. Two years later, most of the 230 pilot whales that stranded in that same spot and died.
*With information from EFE
