The team urged residents not to take or consume parts of the whales\nwhile stressing their status as protected species.Kupang (ANTARA) - The\nMinistry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, through its marine\nconservation area agency in Kupang, rescued 34 stranded pilot whales on\nMbadokai Beach in Rote Ndao District, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).<\/p>\n
Agency head Imam Fauzi said his team conducted rescue operations for\na total of 55 stranded whales from Monday night to Tuesday in a\ncoordinated effort involving local security forces, conservation\nagencies, officials, and residents.<\/p>\n
\u201cTwenty-one whales were declared dead after stranding,\u201d he said in\nKupang, NTT, on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Fauzi highlighted that his team promptly conducted identification,\nmeasurement, and necropsies on the dead whales for documentation,\nresearch, and further analysis, aiming to determine the exact cause of\ndeath.<\/p>\n
He added that closer examinations revealed the marine mammals to be\nshort-finned pilot whales, scientifically known as Globicephala\nmacrorhynchus. Of the 21 carcasses examined, eight were identified as\nmales and 13 as females, with 17 confirmed to be adults while the\nremainder were calves.<\/p>\n
In terms of measurement, the official pointed out that the largest\nspecimen was a male measuring about 5.1 meters, while the smallest was\nonly around 2.4 meters in length.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, he assured that the rescue team had exerted all-out\nefforts to save all 55 stranded whales, guiding them back into deeper\nwaters with the assistance of vessels. Despite the extensive endeavor,\n21 whales ultimately did not survive the stranding.<\/p>\n
To take care of the carcasses, the agency coordinated with the Rote\nNdao government, which deployed an excavator.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe burial of the dead whales was conducted until 7:30 p.m. local\ntime on Tuesday,\u201d Fauzi said, emphasizing safety protocols to prevent\ncontamination.<\/p>\n
He added that the team urged residents not to take or consume parts\nof the whales while stressing their status as protected species.<\/p>\n
Related news: Pod of 11 pilot whales found beached in Sabu Raijua,\nNTT<\/p>\n
Related news: Up to 145 whales die after mass stranding in New\nZealand<\/p>\n
Translator: Kornelis Kaha, Tegar Nurfitra<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indonesia-rescues-34-stranded-pilot-whales-in-east-nusa-tenggara-1773219209", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }