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Illness that killed beached whale remains mystery
By Kate Elizabeth Queram
Published: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 5:53 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 5:53 p.m.
The pygmy sperm whale that washed up on Bald Head Island Sunday died from natural causes, though researchers said Tuesday they remained unclear on the specifics of the disease that killed it.
"He had multi-system conditions," said Ann Pabst, co-director of the state's Marine Mammal Stranding Program and a biologist at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "We don't know exactly why this animal was on the beach, but he was heavily parasitized and had a number of organ systems that looked compromised.
"But what exactly was the set of events that led him to the beach, I don't know."
...
Pygmy sperm whales are deepwater mammals that dive as low as 1,000 feet in search of food. The mammals are extremely elusive in their natural environment, and most sightings occur during strandings, Pabst said.
"They're cryptic mammals," she said. "Our aerial survey team has been flying for over seven years, and we've seen exactly two."
Full text:
http://www.starnewsonline.com/artic...ess-that-killed-beached-whale-remains-mystery
By Kate Elizabeth Queram
Published: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 5:53 p.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 at 5:53 p.m.
The pygmy sperm whale that washed up on Bald Head Island Sunday died from natural causes, though researchers said Tuesday they remained unclear on the specifics of the disease that killed it.
"He had multi-system conditions," said Ann Pabst, co-director of the state's Marine Mammal Stranding Program and a biologist at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. "We don't know exactly why this animal was on the beach, but he was heavily parasitized and had a number of organ systems that looked compromised.
"But what exactly was the set of events that led him to the beach, I don't know."
...
Pygmy sperm whales are deepwater mammals that dive as low as 1,000 feet in search of food. The mammals are extremely elusive in their natural environment, and most sightings occur during strandings, Pabst said.
"They're cryptic mammals," she said. "Our aerial survey team has been flying for over seven years, and we've seen exactly two."
Full text:
http://www.starnewsonline.com/artic...ess-that-killed-beached-whale-remains-mystery