How To Euthanize A Whale
Dead Humpback Whale Near Big Sur, California Merzperson, via Wikimedia Commons Sometimes, whales end up where they shouldn't. When a whale can't be rescued and sent back to sea, it becomes at once a tragedy, an obstacle, and a potential health hazard. Craig Haims, an aquatic wildlife veterinarian with North Carolina State University, partnered with three marine mammal experts to figure out the best way to euthanize a whale. Because whales are so large, the normal lethal injection dosages used for humans won't work. And because scavengers will eat the dead whale's body, the wrong drug could kill the scavengers too, and then seep into the marine environment. The solution: Euthanasia is delivered in two parts, each through custom-built needles. First, a nearly foot-long needle goes into the whale's muscles to deliver a...