Hundreds of pilot whales are dead after two mass stranding events occurred days apart in New Zealand.
Hundreds of pilot whales are dead after two mass stranding events occurred days apart in New Zealand, conservation officials announced on Wednesday. The strandings continue a deadly trend that has rocked the Oceania region in recent weeks.
Some of the whales were dead by the time conservation officials were able to respond to the scene. Those that were still alive, however, were euthanized to"minimize suffering," Dave Lundquist, technical advisor marine for the Department of Conservation said. Project Jonah New Zealand, a marine mammal rescue and protection organization, said strandings are"complex phenomena" that have several factors dictating the outcome for the animals. An inability to quickly send out trained medics as well as marine predators — such as great white sharks, that reside close to shore and threaten both people and the whales — can make rescue missions difficult, the group said on Facebook.
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