Comments | wtf_nature: colin the whale.

morreh in wtf_nature

colin the whale.

Aug 21, 2008 21:02

So this little baby whale dubbed "colin" got abandonned by it's mother at only a few weeks old, and it has been treating a local boat like it is its mother.
I don't know about the other countries, but it's all over the news here.
( Read more... )

mammal, whale, australia, marine life, sea life

Comments 56

evilpettingz00 August 21 2008, 22:40:15 UTC

Oh, that's so sad. :(

I'm totally bummed out now.

botchla August 21 2008, 22:44:37 UTC

same

='[

orchid666 August 21 2008, 22:44:55 UTC

Why would they put him down??? That's awfull! I'm sure there's a technique to milk feed him in a zoo or something!

=(

korio August 21 2008, 23:49:41 UTC

The article said that he had shark inflicted wounds... He's having a hard time breathing and the scientists claim that he won't live through the night. I wish they would take him in and do what they could to help him...

It makes me very sad :(

moonvoice August 22 2008, 00:07:40 UTC

There is absolutely NO way to milk feed him, it's never been done before with a whale this big, and even the US doesn't have the facilities to do it - if they could get him to the US before he starves to death.

From there, NO country in the world has - or for now, could have - the facilities to look after a grown humpback. But there is also no way to ensure that it could be safely rehabilitated either.

There's a strong chance that the mother rejected the baby for biological reasons, suggesting that the baby may actually be diseased or somehow unable to survive the harsh life of a humpback as it is.

It's not great; but euthanasia is probably the most humane option.

(The comment has been removed)

Thread 8

dodgy_mermaid August 21 2008, 22:45:27 UTC

Oh, no. Poor baby! T_T

debtwillcollect August 21 2008, 22:45:35 UTC

Poor little guy. I was kind of pissed when I first heard they were putting him down, until I learned what poor condition he's in without his mom. It's still so sad though. :(

Do they know what happened to his mom?

moonvoice August 22 2008, 00:08:18 UTC

The mother probably rejected him for biological reasons; it's very unusual for a baby to give distress calls and not one whale come back to get him, suggesting that he may already have something wrong with him.

muffinbean August 21 2008, 22:45:50 UTC

:(

When I heard earlier that they were going to put him down, it just seemed like the best thing. Very sad, yeah. But I mean, a lost whale with shark injuries that isn't even weaned yet...is there anything anyone could do for him anyway, short of miraculously reuniting him with his mother?