The carcass of a 12-foot-long whale shark, an endangered species, was washed ashore, off the Vambakeerapalayam coast, on Thursday.
According to forest department officials, a group of fishermen found the juvenile whale shark carcass and pulled it to the shore. The animal could have died after drifting from its migratory route and got washed to the shore, an official said.
The possible cause of death could be ascertained only after a post-mortem. This is the second incident of a whale shark stranded on the coast, the official added.
Earlier, an 18-foot-long whale shark died after getting trapped in a fishing net off Puducherry coast in January.
A veterinarian said that the animal, an endangered species and listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, weighed nearly one tonne.
The animal is a filter feeder and mainly feeds on planktons and small fish. They are normally found in the Gulf of Mannar and Gujarat coast, he said.
