Danish Officials Collect Samples From 10-15 Meter Dead Whale as Timmy Link Emerges
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · May 15
Danish Officials Collect Samples From 10-15 Meter Dead Whale as Timmy Link Emerges
10 articles · Updated · DW (English) · May 15
Tissue samples were taken Friday from a dead whale found about 75 meters off Denmark's Anholt island to determine whether it is Timmy, officials said.
Danish authorities believe the humpback had been dead for some time; the carcass is estimated at 10 to 15 meters long and was due to be retrieved Friday.
Spokesperson Dorte Kofoed said Timmy cannot be ruled out, reviving attention on the young humpback that spent weeks stranded in shallow waters off Germany's Baltic coast.
Timmy, first spotted near Timmendorfer beach on March 3, was finally released roughly 70 kilometers off Denmark earlier in May after repeated rescue attempts and a barge transfer.
Scientists had warned the 4- to 6-year-old whale's health was badly weakened by multiple strandings and nearly two months in shallow water, making survival uncertain even after release.
Will Timmy's tragic story finally force new restrictions on destructive fishing methods?
Was the €1.5 million rescue a compassionate act or a costly delay of the inevitable?
When public emotion clashes with science, who should decide a wild animal's fate?