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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Suffering whale is to be put down | Suffering whale is to be put down |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| A 15ft whale stranded in a river near a busy ferry port is to be killed to prevent it suffering. | A 15ft whale stranded in a river near a busy ferry port is to be killed to prevent it suffering. |
| The juvenile Northern Bottlenose whale, trapped in shallow water in the River Orwell near Ipswich would not survive, experts said. | The juvenile Northern Bottlenose whale, trapped in shallow water in the River Orwell near Ipswich would not survive, experts said. |
| British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) group officials said they intended to kill the whale on Saturday. | British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) group officials said they intended to kill the whale on Saturday. |
| The whale was seen in the afternoon and had become beached under the Orwell Bridge a few hours later. | The whale was seen in the afternoon and had become beached under the Orwell Bridge a few hours later. |
| "We are worried about the condition of the animal. We believe the animal is in a compromised condition," said Trevor Weeks, the BDMLR's national coordinator. | "We are worried about the condition of the animal. We believe the animal is in a compromised condition," said Trevor Weeks, the BDMLR's national coordinator. |
| "The breath rate is not great. Its movement and actions appear to be lethargic. | "The breath rate is not great. Its movement and actions appear to be lethargic. |
| "We are looking at doing something as early as we can tomorrow. Our main concern is that we don't want the animal to suffer." | "We are looking at doing something as early as we can tomorrow. Our main concern is that we don't want the animal to suffer." |
| Starvation fear | Starvation fear |
| Crowds gathered on the banks of the river as divers in boats tried to coax the whale back to the North Sea. | Crowds gathered on the banks of the river as divers in boats tried to coax the whale back to the North Sea. |
| Mr Weeks said the whale was the latest in a series to arrive on the east coast over the past 18 months. | Mr Weeks said the whale was the latest in a series to arrive on the east coast over the past 18 months. |
| He said whales had appeared in the Thames, at Skegness, Lincolnshire, in The Wash off north Norfolk and the river Humber near Hull, East Yorkshire. None had survived. | He said whales had appeared in the Thames, at Skegness, Lincolnshire, in The Wash off north Norfolk and the river Humber near Hull, East Yorkshire. None had survived. |
| Mr Weeks suspected that the whale began its journey off the Norwegian coast and found itself in the North Sea by mistake. | |
| The whale would almost certainly die of starvation or dehydration if not put down, he said. | The whale would almost certainly die of starvation or dehydration if not put down, he said. |