Stranded humpback calf is found again and becomes a scientific success story

One humpback whale calf It became a scientific success story after experts contradicted the standard euthanasia procedure for stranded cetaceans and returned it to the sea — and to its mother. This is because the Amigos da Jubarte project, by the NGO O Canal, identified the animal swimming with its mother days after the rescue at Praia de Manguinhos, in Espírito Santo — a very rare case for cetaceans, which usually appear dead after being found on the edge.

Thiago Ferrarione of the founders of the NGO, told CNNthat they were called to carry out a stranding on the beach in 2023. It was the second consecutive day of the stranding of the whale calf, which still had its the umbilical cord.

On the first day, he returned to the sea with the help of bathers, but, on the morning of the next day, the same humpback calf ran aground again, this time among rocks and corals — a very complicated place to rescue — and was badly injured.

Due to the difficulties of the rescue, which lasted more than six hours, experts were discussing the possibility of euthanizing the puppy, which was suffering from its injuries but was in good health.

José Marcelodirector of Orca Institutewhich monitors beaches on the coast of Espírito Santo, risked everything by going against the protocol of euthanizing the puppy.

According to him, the responsible institutions wanted to do this because they were impressed by the injuries and were distressed by the animal’s suffering. Euthanasia, for them, seemed the best solution.

The veterinarian Ian Augusto Gusman Cunha, the only professional in the field present on site, alsohi against the measure.

He assessed that the animal was in good health and noticed that it improved when an adult whale, close to the edge, moved its fin, apparently calling for its calf.

The adult cetacean even followed boats to check if it was its offspring, according to Thiago Ferrari.

The director of the Orca Institute told CNN that, after the mother called for her baby, the baby responded with vocalizations and seemed to gain even more strength — another fundamental factor in insisting on his rescue and reunion with his mother. “It was because of the relationship between mother and son that we wanted to save this cub even more,” she said.

With the rising tide, rescue teams managed to free the baby, and the animal did not run aground again.

The outcome showed that the experts’ analysis — that the puppy was in good health — was correct. Later, with laboratory analysis of the calf’s blood, the teams proved that the cetacean’s health was in excellent condition. The theory, then, was that the calf had arrived in the shallows to play in the warmer water on the coast.

Thiago Ferrari said that everyone involved in the rescue was criticized for not carrying out euthanasia. But, as they found the calf swimming with its mother days later, the decision “proved to be the right one in believing that the calf could survive”, he told CNN.

The Orca Institute and the Amigos da Jubarte project received recognition from the Serra Municipal Council, in Espírito Santo, for the work carried out in rescuing the male calf.

Puppy recognition

On the day of rescue, the puppy gained a crescent-shaped scar by losing part of its tail fin.

The brand was essential for his identification, found swimming with mother about two or three days after stranding (and unchain).

The team recognized the cub by its monitoring drone — a research method developed by the project that consists of unmanned aircraft that capture high definition images to evaluate, in the laboratory, behavioral patterns, social composition and health of individuals.

Amigos da Jubarte analyzed these images with the researcher Sâmia Alpoimwho recognized the crescent shape of the cub’s tail.

The situation highlights the success of stranding, as babies tend to lose their mother when they become stranded and, therefore, are unable to survive.

Another way to identify the baby was by observing the way it swims — which did not follow its mother, as usually happens, with its tail up and down, but throwing its tail a little to the side, like a shark.

“We were able, from some angles, to observe some details and some scars and we saw that it was the same animal,” the researcher told CNN.

“Until now, we have not seen an animal in these conditions at sea shortly after the stranding. […] Generally, a few days after the stranding, we see the animal stranded again, leading to death. We didn’t have this success story yet. It was the first case that we were able to identify“, he added.

Sâmia believes that the animal is still alive today, after all, if it wasn’t, it would probably have already been found stranded on some beach. As it reunited with its mother after being extricated, a cub’s chances of survival increase significantly.

“Despite the slightly different caudal movement, he was in a speed considered normal and we saw no indication that she might arrive in a condition to run aground again. We consider that it was a successful relay and that he probably moves on with his life.”

The other researchers also argue that the whale is still alive — and hope to find it again. Humpback babies can accompany their mothers for three seasons (about three years) until they reach complete independence.

For Ferrari, the reunion of this animal also proves that the scientific method of analyzing images of the monitoring drone is reliable.

Change in euthanasia protocol

There was a change in the rescue protocol, from the Northeast Mammal Removal Network (Remane), from 2005, which did not make it completely clear who should make the euthanasia decision. The ICMBio edition, launched in January this yearafter freeing the humpback calf, makes it clear that the veterinarian and the field team are the ones who must decide whether or not to carry out the procedure.

The change in the guide, however, did not come just because of the puppy’s isolated case. “Performing euthanasia under Brazilian legislation is the exclusive responsibility of the veterinarian after he has assessed the animal and seen that it is not capable of survival,” he explained. Milton Cesar MarcondesThe CNNone of the organizers of the updated guide.

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