380 Whales Of The Nearly 500 Die In One Of The Worst Mass Stranding In Australia; 70 Rescued

Only a few dozen of the 470 whales stranded on Australia's coast can still be saved, rescuers warned on September 24. At least 380 pilot whales have died since their pod was discovered beached on Tasmania's rugged western seaboard four days ago -Australia's largest-ever mass stranding. Around 70 of the creatures have survived and the death toll is expected to rise as the window for rescue now begins to close. "We've got about 25 animals that we think have the strength to be successfully released," said Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service manager Nic Deka to AFP. A crew of around 60 conservationists & skilled volunteers have spent days wading in the chilly water of Macquarie Harbour, surrounded by the anguishing cries of whales slowly dying, reported AFP. The crews are now focusing efforts on a group of 20-25 partially submerged whales, using boats fitted with special slings to guide them back to the open ocean. But increasingly, attention is turning to how to dispose of the nearly 400 whale carcasses safely.