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33 whales shot in New Zealand after rescues fail

By Associated Press

POSTED:
LAST UPDATED: 04:56 p.m. HST, Feb 22, 2012

AP
In this Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012, photo provided by Project Jonah, stranded pilot whales are helped by volunteers at Farewell Spit on New Zealand's South Island.

 

WELLINGTON, New Zealand >> Conservation staff in New Zealand have put down 33 stranded whales after several attempts to refloat them failed.

The pilot whales shot Thursday were the last of 99 that stranded themselves Monday on Farewell Spit on the South Island. Department of Conservation area manager John Mason says staff and hundreds of volunteers had tried all week to get the whales refloated.

He says they thought they were successful Wednesday when they got the whales into deep water — but were saddened Thursday to find that they had swum back ashore. He says the condition of the whales had significantly deteriorated.

As well as the 33 whales that were shot, 36 had died naturally since Monday and 17 were successfully refloated. Thirteen remain unaccounted for. 

 






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bigtaiho wrote:
Mega earthquake on the way
on January 26,2012 | 05:29AM
ShaveIce wrote:
Why do they need to be shot? Is it just to speed up their passing? While it's sad, I'd personally let nature take its course rather than have the government in the business of shooting whales.
on January 26,2012 | 05:53AM
aomohoa wrote:
I'm sure if was a very difficult decision:(
on January 26,2012 | 08:19AM
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