A WHALE that became stranded on mudflats was put down last night after suffering renal failure.
Despite making its way into deeper waters for a short spell as the tide came in, a desperate rescue effort was called off after vets ruled the animal's internal injuries were too severe for it to survive.
The young northern bottlenose whale, nic
knamed Billy, which weighed six tonnes and was 26ft long, first became grounded on mudflats at Hayling Island at Langstone, Hampshire, for around 12 hours. It later refloated and appeared to head into the Solent, before again becoming stranded on another sandbank.
After consultations, vets administered a lethal injection of anaesthetic to the whale as the tide receded yesterday evening, allowing them access via pontoons.
Faye Archell, director of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue organisation (BDMLR), said there was no hope for the whale.
She said: "Because the tide came in the animal was having great difficulty in righting itself and water was starting to lap around the blow-hole.
"A decision was taken to put the animal to sleep on welfare grounds. Unfortunately it's not the outcome people would want, but it's the right decision for the animal. It's sick and distressed." She added: "It has chosen to strand both times. We now know it's not a navigational error but it has stranded for a reason. It is sick … if this animal was left it would have a much longer, lingering death."
Blood samples from the whale showed it was suffering irreversible renal failure caused by dehydration and muscle damage. The whale's kidneys failed after its organs were compressed under its body-weight, leading to a build-up of toxins.
"There's no coming back from renal failure. It's not good news but is what we expect from these cases," Ms Archell added.
"Renal failure is predominantly due to dehydration because it hasn't eaten for at least 48 hours, but it could well be longer than that."
Paul Jepson, a vet from the Zoological Society of London, said: "It is very sad, but something that we are used to."
Northern bottlenose whales are normally found in the North Atlantic. It remains unclear why the whale ended up far from its normal habitat.
About 50 people, including BDMLR marine experts, firefighters with mud rescue equipment, and Coastguard and RNLI staff, were at the scene along with a crowd of around 100 onlookers.
Rita Delahunty, a worker at the nearby Ship Inn, believed it was the first time a whale had been seen in the waters around Langstone. She said: "It's very, very unusual. We have had seals before but never a whale."
Deep water mammal well off courseTHE northern bottlenose found off the Hampshire shoreline was miles off course. The mammals are normally found off the Bay of Biscay and in the cool, deep waters of the North Atlantic.
Studies have shown that northern bottlenoses, Hyperoodon ampullatus, are loyal and protective animals; whenever a member of their pod becomes injured, the rest of the party will stay behind.
Such characteristics, coupled with a curiosity which leads them to approach boats without concern, has rendered them an easy target for whale hunters in the past.
Capable of growing up to 33ft long and weighing between 5.8 and 7.5 tons, the species can be identified by a rounded body and bulbous forehead, with beak-like snouts and two teeth which they use to snare squid, herring, and starfish.
The whale was the same species as the one stranded in the Thames in January 2006, which died while being carried to safety on a barge at Gravesend. A post-mortem examination showed the female probably died from dehydration. The bones joined the Natural History Museum's national research collection of 2,500 whale, dolphin and porpoise skeletons.
The full article contains 645 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
