Friday, August 22, 2008

All Hope Fades For Colin The Baby Whale


Please spare a thought or a prayer for this beautiful creature who has been stranded in a Sydney waterway since Sunday. It was first spotted on Sunday, nuzzling up to a yacht in the northern Sydney waterway, apparently searching for its mother, who has either abandoned him or lost him.
Because of the shape of the boat it thinks it is his mother and has been trying to feed. Sadly the little calf is starving to death. Affectionately named Colin, the calf is believed to be about two or three weeks old.
A veterinary report late this afternoon found the animal was in very poor condition and would probably not live through the night.
The mammal is suffering from previous shark inflicted injuries, is experiencing breathing difficulties and its flukes are hanging down.

Sydney's love affair with Colin the orphaned whale will end in tears.

Veterinary experts have told the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) that the humpback calf is in dangerously poor condition and that a merciful death is the only option.

"As a result of a veterinary assessment, staff from both Taronga Zoo and Seaworld say the whale's condition has rapidly deteriorated," NPWS spokesman Chris McIntosh told ninemsn.

"It's condition is such that they cannot be sure that it would survive until the morning.

"The recommendation they made to us — which we've accepted — is that they humanely euthanize the whale tonight, provided they can find it.

"We've conveyed this to the RSPCA and they've agreed with our assessment."

Experts from Seaworld were on site discussing the calf’s fate this afternoon and considering whether another attempt to lure it out to sea would be viable.

But it was thought that the exertion imposed on the animal, as well as its slow speed and difficulties of luring the whale with the yacht at virtually no speed may hinder the operation.

Footnote:

Hopefully a miracle will occur and his mum might find him just in time, if not may he go peacefully and suffer no more. I will keep you posted.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

awww

i <3 whales

bbq'd

but i do hope this little one finds its way

¤ ¤ ¤

/t.

dianne said...

/t. I didn't realise that you were Japanese?
I'm very sad about this whole situation I was hoping its Mother would hear it and come and save it. Two guys came up with an idea to feed it cows milk but they suckle from their Mum for such a long time and the nutritional value of the milk changes to suit its needs, just like in human babies. Then it has to be taught so many things and how to catch food so the odds are definitely against it. No surrogate Mother could be found. So sad...

boneman said...

somehow, I blame man.

Dunno how they did this, but, somewhere there is laughter and it makes me wretch.

darkfoam said...

ohhhhhhh, that's really sad ..
i love the mammals of the seas ..
i hope it's not to late for a miracle.
thanks for bringing this to our attention.

Little Lamb said...

That is sad.

Jean said...

poor baby. :-(

puerileuwaite said...

I couldn't bear to read this. I'm praying for a miracle.