You know? Something that weighs 950 pounds and is 12 feet long should not be called a Pygmy!!
Oliver Barry CRS,GRI Real Estate Broker Bob Parks Realty 1517 Hunt Club Blvd Gallatin TN 37066 Phone: 615-826-4040 Fax: 615-822-2027 Mobile: 615-972-4239 _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Shane Ford Sent: Friday, June 25, 2010 10:22 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [gatornews] [SUN]: 6/25 06:01 --- Beached whale dies, is then brought to university for tests [Crabbe] Beached whale dies, is then brought to university for tests The Pygmy sperm whale died en route to Jacksonville Zoo. By Nathan Crabbe <mailto:[email protected]> Gainesville SUN Staff writer Published: Friday, June 25, 2010 at 6:01 a.m. Last Modified: Thursday, June 24, 2010 at 11:56 p.m. University of Florida veterinarians are working to solve the mystery of why a Pygmy sperm whale stranded itself on Fernandina Beach. The 12-foot-long, 950-pound whale was brought Thursday morning to the UF College of Veterinary Medicine. It washed up the previous night on Fernandina Beach and died en route to the Jacksonville Zoo. Dr. Michael Walsh, associate director of aquatic animal health at UF, said the beaching of whales is relatively common and typically linked to health problems suffered by the animals. UF veterinary pathologists will be conducting a necropsy to determine the exact reason. "Infections and toxins are going to be the big killers of these animals," Walsh said. Beachgoers saw the whale in shallow waters about 7 p.m. Wednesday before it washed up onshore. The beachgoers tried unsuccessfully three or four times to get it back into the water, said Ryan Berger, a biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission. He arrived at the scene around 10 p.m. and loaded the animal into a truck for transport to the zoo. He said the species lives in deep offshore waters and is difficult to raise in captivity, so the plan was to euthanize the whale there. But the animal died on the way, so it was brought to UF for a necropsy. The university is a partner with federal and state agencies in providing such a service. Walsh said a team led by Dr. Scott Terrell will first examine the outside of the whale. The animal doesn't appear to have any new wounds, he said, but an accident could have been the reason for its behavior. "The animal could have been hit by a boat for all we know," he said. The next step will be examining the internal parts of the animal for clues. If tissue samples need to be tested, Walsh said the process could take weeks if not months. In the end, he said the mystery might never be solved. "There's a real good chance that you might not find a good answer," he said. -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -- GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us
