Whale Strayed in Brazil’s Amazon Dies Before It Can Be Rescued

Whale dies in Brazil's Amazon A Minke whale that had strayed deep into the Amazon rainforest has been found dead. The 5.5 meters whale was believed to have become lost in the Amazon's many tributaries after leaving the Atlantic more than 1.600 kilometers away.

Attempts by conservationists and volunteers to catch the animal and transport it back to sea failed. Biologists have conducted an autopsy on the Minke whale to determine the cause of death.

The whale was first spotted last week in the Tapajós River, a tributary of the Amazon, where locals reported seeing a mysterious animal in the water.

Experts say that it could have been in the area for up to two months after getting lost on entering the massive river delta. It had beached itself on sandbanks several times and had been freed at least twice by rescuers.

Local people were seen splashing its back with water to protect it from the Amazonian heat. On Sunday, biologists and volunteers tried to contain the animal, said to weigh 12 tons, in a small area of river before taking it back to sea by boat.

But it broke away from the area and its corpse was spotted on Tuesday, November 20, by local people who reported it to the authorities.

Experts had earlier said that although whales could survive many months without food, the animal would be disorientated.

Milton Marcondes, a veterinarian with the Brazilian Humpback Whale Institute, which was involved in the rescue attempt, said that the whale would be stressed and could easily become ill.

"We can't forget this animal has been away from its natural habitat for a long time," he told the local press.

Mercopress

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil’s Lula Can Still Redeem His Name by Foregoing a Second Mandate

Perhaps never before in the history of Brazil have persons with such respectable biographies ...

Oswaldo Cruz Foundation headquarters in Brazil

Brazil to Offer Masters Degree in US, Europe and Africa

Brazil's Foundation for Improvement of Higher Education Students (Capes) and the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation ...

Brazilian Quintet leader Vinicius Cantuária

Boston Gets a Double Dose of Brazil’s Edge: Cantuí¡ria and Cí©U

Two of the hottest new Brazilian musical acts will be showing their talent this ...

A peasant from Petrolina, Pernambuco, in the Brazilian Northeast

The US-Brazil Accord on Ethanol Is Good for GDP But Very Bad for Rural Poor

During Bush’s visit to Brazil thousands of poor, rural members of the international Via ...

Brazilian President’s Popularity Inspires Movement to Extend His Time in Office

The high popularity of Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva – a record ...

To the Rescue

By raising the rate it charges for lending, the Brazilian central bank hopes to ...

For This Brazilian Firm It’s Just One Word: Plastic

Plasvale, a producer of plastic containers for household use, based in the city of ...

Colombia’s Ecopetrol Joins US’s Anadarko to Explore Oil Off Brazil Coast

Ecopetrol S.A., the Colombian state-owned oil company said Tuesday, April 14, that it signed ...

Brazil’s US$ 2 Billion Nigerian Investment Starts to Bear Oil

Brazil's state-controlled oil multinational Petrobras started production of oil in Agbami field, in Nigeria. ...

Brazil’s Small Businesses Grow Modest 1.9% in 2005

The year of 2005 was, on average, positive for micro and small companies in ...