SONGKHLA: A male short-finned pilot whale that ran aground in Chana district of this southern province on May 28 has died, with a large quantity of plastic thrash found in its stomach.
The whale was measured 4.5 metres in length and 2.3m in circumference at its fins, and weighed about 500 kilogrammes when it ran aground at the mouth of Khlong Nathap canal in tambon Nathap on May 28. It was seriously sick.
Officials of the Songkhla-based Marine Resources Research and Development Centre said a team of veterinarians tried five days to save the life of the whale, but not successful. The whale eventually died on June 1.
After the body of the whale was cut open for examination, the veterinarians found 80 pieces of plastic garbage, weighing about 8 kilogrammes altogether, in its stomach. It was believed the plastic garbage was one of the causes of the whale's death, apart from other complications.
