Young orca dies

A young orca which became separated from its pod in Tauranga Harbour has died.

The calf named Bob died in the early hours of this morning confirmed Conservation Minister Maggie Barry.


The young orca after it was rescued and put into a pool.

'Sadly the calf lost its battle overnight despite the best efforts of a team of rescuers,” Maggie says.

'I send my sympathies and commiserations to the many people who have worked exhaustively over the last week to try to save the young whale. It was an effort made in the best spirit of cooperation and conservation of the natural world.”

The calf, estimated to be between six months and a year old, had been seen in the Tauranga area since July 14.

A tactical response group including staff from the Department of Conservation, the Orca Research Trust, local iwi and community had worked together to attempt a rescue.

With its health deteriorating due to dehydration and malnutrition, it was moved to a land-based pool two days ago.

The orca was initially fed electrolytes and water through a tube and later was given a fish slurry. It appeared to make good progress with rehydration but sadly was unable to return to full health.

'Rescue and release of an orca this young would have been a world first,” Maggie says.

'The chances of success were always slim, but those who gave their time and effort to the calf should be proud of their efforts.

'I understand the tactical response group will make arrangements for an appropriate farewell and will not be making any further statements until these are confirmed.”

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19 comments

Can't help thinking

Posted on 06-08-2016 11:12 | By astex

What a shame that the poor thing had to suffer so much at the hands of humans and wasn't left to die in the surroundings it was most comfortable in. A beautiful creature placed in a tiny pool must have suffered more this way. Sometimes we MUST let nature take it's course regardless of our feelings that we know better. It was probably cast out by it's mother and pod in the first place for the survival of the fittest rule of mother nature.


There are.....

Posted on 06-08-2016 11:23 | By Jimmy Ehu

reasons for everything!, as much as some want to change the world Mother Nature has her own way of dealing with the sick and infirm, a message to all you "sandal" wearers, your efforts would be better spent on helping to stop the cruelty to all creatures, the orca pod new exactly "what was what" and dealt with the issue thier own way!!', which is something most realist knew, and wash my mouth out with soapy water but cost to appease the ones that think life is lived in a cacoon of cotton wool please, or as usual we don't get a say?.


Well, well,..

Posted on 06-08-2016 11:36 | By Me again

well. That is what happens when you interfer with wild animals. Should have left it alone. Herded back out and observed it from a distance. Experts no everything though!!


Writing was on the wall

Posted on 06-08-2016 12:34 | By Hot stuff

These experts should have known this would happen , surely it would have been better to put it down .As soon as it was shifted to that pool it was the beginning of the end for the poor thing


agree with other comments

Posted on 06-08-2016 13:44 | By whatsinaname

agree with all the above. it should of been taken out to sea when first noticed it in the harbour. it would of joined its family and may of lived. Humans tend to interfere. being in . that little pool surrounded by humans would of stressed it out as well.


So sad

Posted on 06-08-2016 14:04 | By Roger

Spose we'll have to have a full funeral with a coffin followed by a tax funded wake . Get real people this was just Mother Nature taking care of things , no big deal.


What a surprise

Posted on 06-08-2016 14:35 | By waiknot

Not


experts

Posted on 06-08-2016 15:07 | By Captain Sensible

Just last night these so called marine biology "experts" said there was cautious optimism. Nek minnit it's dead. I won't say "I told you so" because I am not an expert with a degree in marine biology.


Jimmy Ehu

Posted on 06-08-2016 15:26 | By BennyBenson

Actually Orcas are usually very good at looking after debilitated whales in their pod unlike most other species so it is a real mystery how this calf ended up alone. As for the money spent..it was funded by the Orca Research Trust..you know because it was an Orca!


Hmmmm

Posted on 06-08-2016 17:34 | By How about this view!

Sentiment has NO place in these situations. It was a wrong decision from the very start. Another animal suffers at the hands of the researchers, scientists and self-appointed experts. Stick to research with a pen, set of binoculars and computer and let the natural world do it's own thing.


whale

Posted on 06-08-2016 19:15 | By dumbkof2

just dig a hole and bury it. no need for any hoo ha


They tried

Posted on 06-08-2016 21:01 | By Blessed

It would have been better to leave it in the ocean to die. NZ has no humane way to 'put a whale down'shooting it will make it drown in its own blood. I appreciate the effort but don't think removing the calf from the ocean was a good idea


meant well but

Posted on 06-08-2016 21:28 | By Captain Sensible

I'm sure these experts meant well, but in my eyes they were doing to the whale exactly what they were afraid the general public would do to it. I saw on the TV news the water in the pool was filthy and it seemed to have a human hand poking and prodding it 24/7.


So you are the experts now !!

Posted on 06-08-2016 22:46 | By Deb from BOP

To all you self appointed experts you dont know the facts and you werent there ! That young orca was happy in that tank it had spent weeks alone starving and dehydrating in the estuary until a decision to help was made.Unfortunately too late but was recovering and showed happiness and affection towards his human support team that was always with him. That mother nature stuff is so old hat ! .A creature like that deserves a chance . No one will ever know why he became separated he was a strong healthy baby not a sickly pathetic creature like you would expect see. AS a visitor I was touched by his presence and wish he could have been in that pool earlier.He was battling to live and allowed humans to help him which was truly amazing to me!They would do it again and Id support them .


A sad outcome....

Posted on 06-08-2016 23:56 | By GreertonBoy

But not unexpected imo. Condolences to the team giving it their best... Had the orca died at sea, it would have fed 1000 other creatures, rather than bury the poor thing, I would rather see it dropped out at sea. Perhaps a friendly ships captain of a ship leaving soon might be good enough to take it a long way from land? Again, condolences to the team. You sure put your heart into the poor little bloke. Very noble.


Lunatics

Posted on 07-08-2016 06:19 | By maildrop

The world is full of self proclaimed experts and "scientists" trying to play God. Just failed medical students looking to earn a crust on gravy trains around the world. Some fools fall for it and pander to their stupid ideas. This was animal abuse, played out for us all to see. Tut tut.


To Benny...

Posted on 07-08-2016 06:38 | By Jimmy Ehu

So your research has worked well then?, how's the efforts on " World Peace" and the movement on Trump for president going?, and life is a mystery!.


Deb...

Posted on 07-08-2016 17:54 | By GreertonBoy

How do you know that putting the little guy in a swimming pool isn't what killed him? He was a wild animal? Wild animals shouldn't be showing affection to handlers in a swimming pool? How do you know he was happy in a swimming pool? How do you know he wasn't waiting in the harbour for his mother to return? If the mother did return, you people had taken it out of the ocean and put it in a pool? He prolly died of claustrophobia and stale sea water? The pod ousted him for a reason but they did. We will never know. We humans always want to fix everything but we cant. I have heard of baby whales and things been 'helped' by humans and cant remember one successful mission? We need to butt out. Human 'help' usually kills large wild seam mammals. Sad but true


Sucessful whale rescues

Posted on 16-08-2016 16:21 | By Darren

Its true that captive rehabilitation does not have a high success rate. A 25 year study in California estimated a 7% success rate. The results are much better when the animal is well enough to be treated on the beach and refloated on the next tide. In Brazil a large humpback whale stranded in 2000 was observed still alive and healthy in 2008. If YOU had a sick child and a medical procedure had a 7% success rate would you take it? Tough call either way.


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