Tasmanian authorities have made the difficult decision to euthanize 90 false killer whales out of a group of 157 that became stranded near Arthur River on the state’s remote north-west coast. The decision was made based on expert veterinary assessment and the priority of animal welfare.
Efforts to refloat two of the whales earlier in the day were unsuccessful, leading to the decision to euthanize the surviving animals. Euthanasia will be carried out by firearm in the most humane way possible.
Authorities were alerted to the stranding by a member of the public on Tuesday evening, making it the first large mass stranding of false killer whales in around 50 years. The remote and challenging location of the stranding site, coupled with ocean conditions, made refloating the animals difficult and dangerous for rescue personnel.
It is still unknown why the animals stranded, and authorities emphasized the importance of protecting the area as all whales, even deceased ones, are protected species. The stranding response is guided by a cetacean incident manual that was reviewed after a mass stranding in 2020 involving long-finned pilot whales.
False killer whales, a highly sociable species of dolphin, are known to form large pods that can predispose them to mass strandings. The last mass stranding of false killer whales in Tasmania occurred in 1974, involving a similar number of animals. Despite the common name suggesting otherwise, false killer whales are actually a species of dolphin that grow up to 6 meters in length and vary in weight from 500kg to 3 tonnes.
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