Baby melon-head whale found dead

DIMIAO, BOHOL, Philippines  — A dead baby melon-head whale was found washed ashore last week in this eastern town, according to Dr. Alessandro Ponzo of Physalus.

Ponzo, in an exclusive interview with The FREEMAN, said that a certain Rosalito Balighot Sr. of this town reported to the Bohol Rescue Unit for Marine Mammal about the incident, and it was a certain Jovencio Pilbera Sr., a resident of Brgy. Luyo of this town, was the one who found the dead marine mammal.

Ponzo confirmed the report saying it was a male calf melon-head whale which was already a week dead with moderate decomposition.

"The skin was already peeled off with evident signs of entanglement from net/fishing line and a bruise and blade cut, below the lower right jaw upon inspection," he said in his e-mail to The FREEMAN earlier.

The rescue team decided to conduct necropsy, a kind of autopsy performed on an animal, "to assess if any condition may have killed the young animal before the entanglement. The animal however looked healthy and well nursed, with milk still present in the stomach," Ponzo said.

The necropsy was witnessed by town Councilor Sisinio Lluvido, PO2 AnelitoLacierda and Bantay Dagay officials, he said.

The officials here decided to bury the carcass of the baby whale at the back of the Dimiao Police Station "to be able to recover the skeleton next year for education purpose." (FREEMAN)