WELLINGTON, Oct 12 (NNN-XINHUA) – A survey by international experts, aims to help researchers develop guidelines, for assessing the welfare of stranded whales and dolphins, after two mass strandings of pilot whales on New Zealand’s Chatham Islands, this week.
Researchers at Massey University said, the welfare of these animals is inextricably linked to their survival, so, such guidelines are needed to inform difficult decisions about whether these marine mammals should be refloated, rehabilitated, euthanised, or put into palliative care, according to the study published today.
Potential welfare indicators include body and skin condition, signs of physical trauma and respiration rate, which could be assessed remotely via video, when experts aren’t present at stranding sites, researchers said.
Due to climate change and human disturbance, cetacean stranding events are predicted to increase globally.
New Zealand’s Chatham Islands found two mass strandings of pilot whales on Sunday and yesterday, according to Project Jonah New Zealand, an organisation for whales and dolphins’ protection and rescue.
Up to 250 and 215 whales were involved, respectively, in these two stranding events, many of which had died. A Department of Conservation (DOC) team is being mobilised from the Chatham Islands, in response.
The Chatham Islands are a challenging spot for stranding response, known for great white sharks, remote beaches and a resident population of fewer than 800 people. These factors sadly meant, the whales alive on discovery were euthanised by the DOC, according to Project Jonah New Zealand.– NNN-XINHUA
