EASTHAM, MASS. (WHDH) - Following a day of providing support and assisting several pilot whales stranded off the coast of Eastham, officials say four of the five remaining marine mammals have been put down.
In an update from the International Fund for Animal Welfare, a spokesperson said the pilot whales had “greatly declined in health and were debilitated after three days of stranding”
“The team made the difficult decision to euthanize these animals as we knew rescue efforts at this stage were no longer going to be possible,” Director of Communications, Global Programs Stacey Hedman said in a statement. “It’s the most humane decision to make in a circumstance like this. They were in a difficult area and in tougher weather and lighting conditions as the exhaustion (for them) of this effort went on.”
Hedman added that the whales passed quickly, indicating the time “was right,” though the decision was tough on all of the group’s responders.
The group had initially responded to reports of six whales appearing in Eastham on Monday night. Five of the six whales were able to swim off after the tide came in on Tuesday, though the youngest, a calf, did not make it.
“We were cautiously optimistic and put a tremendous amount of work into this effort,” Hedman said. “If you were there, you likely felt our hopefulness as the whales first swam off at the end of the day yesterday.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the last whale of the original six had not yet been located.
This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.
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