RESCUED. A false killer whale named Hope is being rehabilitated at the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Alaminos City, Pangasinan. Hope was rescued after it was stranded in Barangay Eguia Dasol town. (Photo courtesy of LGU Alaminos City)
DASOL, Pangasinan – A false killer whale with an estimated weight of 500 kilograms is being restored to its health by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Alaminos City after it was rescued by residents and authorities in this town.
The false killer whale named “Hope” is currently intubated as it is still not eating and floaters were placed to keep it afloat.
In an interview on Thursday, officer-in-charge of BFAR Ilocos Region Rosario Segundina Gaerlan said veterinarians are closely monitoring Hope to ensure recovery before it is returned to the ocean.
“It has no buoyancy and it is thin. It is being cared for in BFAR Alaminos hoping it could be returned to the ocean soon,” she said.
Gaerlan said Hope was first seen in Colibra Island in Dasol town on May 10 and on May 11, it was seen stranded on the shore of Barangay Eguia here.
“The residents coordinated it with the authorities and it was brought in BFAR Alaminos,” she said.
She added marine mammals may be stranded due to the loss of their echo direction and lose their way.
Gaerlan advised the public to refrain from using illegal ways and materials for fishing and to take care of the ocean to maintain biodiversity that includes the kind of false killer whales. (PNA)
