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Abandoned whale calf put down amid angry protests

by Dave Keating | August 22, 2008 at 03:54 am

449 views | 16 Recommendations | 9 comments

Lost Whale Calf thinks Yacht is Mom ! the coast of Sydney

Colin (Collette) the Baby Whale lost its mom in Pittwater - Sydney

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A baby whale that had been beached near Sydney, Australia had to be put down today, after authorities had spent many days trying to come up with a way to rescue it. The calf had attracted hundreds of spectators and huge outpourigns of sympathy.

Everyone wanted a happy ending, but it was not to be. A starving humpback whale calf that had lost its mother and was trying to suckle from yachts in waters off Sydney was put down today, as authorities decided that it would not have survived on its own.

The decision was taken by veterinarians and members of various government agencies after the condition of the female calf, believed to be one or two months' old, deteriorated rapidly. Angry local people, who had hoped to save the whale by feeding it artificially, shouted "Shame!" as veterinarians administered a sedative in shallow waters.

The 14ft mammal could be seen thrashing about before it quietened. Workers were able to hoist it on to a tarpaulin and drag it towards a closed tent on the beach where a final lethal injection was administered.

The plight of the young mammal had attracted a huge outpouring of sympathy as it roamed between yachts moored in an inlet off Sydney's northern shores for the past week, with efforts to save it ranging from the practical to the fanciful.

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Marcel Pellerin

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at 04:10 on August 22nd, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff. we got to it at the same time i think.

Onlooker Michael Brown said: 'I don't understand why they didn't let it die quietly. It was obviously distressed. I'm 41 years old and almost collapsed when I watched what happened.'

From all around the world people touched by the fate of the whale, which had been trying to suckle the yacht hull for at least a week - despite it being lured out to deeper water before returning to the bay - came up with numerous ideas.

One man suggested making a rubber whale with 'feeding slots' in the side - female whales do not have teats - through which the young whale could take a formula, even if the exact make-up of whale milk was not known.

But scientists insisted that Colin's fate was sealed when it was separated from its mother.

It would not have been able to find a surrogate mother and trying to keep it alive in a confined space with milk formula - even if a suitable 'cocktail' could be made - for at least a year was not practical.

Sarah Dodson (not verified)

at 04:39 on August 22nd, 2008

With the millions of people worldwide able and willing to lend monetary support to keep Colin alive, there was no excuse to dismiss saving this baby because of impracticability. And waiting through one week of starvation before taking more extreme measures to save her was shallow.

Barbara McPherson

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 11:24 on August 22nd, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff. Why the public outcry over one starving whale when the public seems to be mute when Japan and Iceland hunt their mommies?

Federsavage

at 11:38 on August 22nd, 2008

Colin turned out to be Collette. It is sad to hear of such news, but that is the way life is in the wild. They found a dead beached whale further away which may turn out to be the mother who looked like she had been injured by a ship propeller and attacked by sharks. They will do DNA testing to see if it is so. The humane thing to do was to do what the wildlife authorities did for Collette --- put her out of her misery.

I am not sure what to think about some of the people's proposed idea to erect a whale statue on the beach to "honour" the little dead whale!? It's a whale, for heaven's sake!

Christina 123

flagged this story as Good Stuff

at 15:35 on August 22nd, 2008

Dave Keating, I like this story. It's good stuff. Poor little mite! (But please don't cal it Colin or Collette!)

carlos torrico (not verified)

at 21:40 on August 22nd, 2008

Hi friends:

I´m from argentina and I think It is not such a good reason to write down a comment but have no choice. I grew up inside a family that taught me that each life is precious and has no price. Humans we have evolutioned in such a way there I think that it would be possible trying harder to save this baby and not to wait any longer. I believe that each animal baby that come to us it´s a message from God telling us that we must to do something to restore his creation, our home. But watching on what we are able to do to each other, it is not difficult to come into a conclusion...

I beg our lovely God above to give us the strength for to do something (with love and in a strongly way) to each other and to his Creation.

I hope you understand my poor english. Thank u