More than 100 pilot whales stranded on Australian beach, likely to be euthanized

Sydney:

Marine biologists on Thursday rushed to save more than 100 pilot whales after a mass stranding on an Australian beach, with authorities fearing many would have to be euthanized.

The Western Australian Parks and Wildlife Service said 26 of the stranded pilot whales have now died.

About 160 pilot whales were stranded on Thursday morning in Toby’s Inlet, officials said, located about a three-hour drive south of the state capital, Perth.

“A team of experienced personnel, including wildlife officers, marine scientists and veterinarians, is on site or en route,” the Parks and Wildlife Service said in a statement.

Wildlife officers will attempt to guide some of the pilot whales away from the beach and into deeper water.

But the service said “these events generally result in euthanasia of stranded animals as the most humane outcome.”

“We always hope for the best outcome,” the wildlife service added.

Mass strandings of pilot whales are not uncommon in Australia and New Zealand.

Around 500 pilot whales died when they stranded on New Zealand’s remote Chatham Islands in 2022.

Scientists don’t fully understand why mass strandings occur, but some researchers think the pods veer off course after feeding too close to shore.

Pilot whales – which can reach more than six meters (20 feet) in length – are highly sociable, so they can follow groupmates who stray into danger.

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