Beached whales to be put down to avoid further suffering

Whales beached on British shores will be humanely killed as soon as possible after they are found, under new guidelinesWhales beached on British shores will be humanely killed as soon as possible after they are found, under new official guidelines. Scientists and conservationists say recent research shows that trying to return stranded whales to their ocean habitats was impractical in the UK and that any attempts to do so merely prolonged the suffering of the animals.The Marine Animal Rescue Coalition, which includes the RSPCA and is responsible for handling stranded marine animals, worked with scientists from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) on the new policy, announced today. It states that stranded whales should be put down by a lethal injection of an opiate unless there were clear reasons not to do so. The policy would apply to deep-sea creatures such as beaked and sperm whales but not to dolphins...

Read the whole article on The Guardian - Science

More from The Guardian - Science

Related