Beached dolphin in Phuket rescued
A dolphin was rescued after running aground on a Phuket beach late Wednesday night.
Rescuers from the Tambon Kamala Administrative Organisation and from local foundations rushed to Kamala beach after local residents spotted the beached dolphin at 11pm.
The residents supported the dolphin in the water to prevent it from drowning.
The rescuers called the Andaman marine resources research and development centre at the Panwa Cape in Tambon Wichit, Muang district for advice and were asked to bring the dolphin in without delay.
The dolphin reached the centre about 50 minutes later. Its conditions deteriorated during the journey and it appeared to be having convulsions. The rescuers kept it alive by massaging its heart.
At the centre, the dolphin was given anti-biotics and other drugs and moved to a nursery pond where it will be kept under close surveillance for 24 hours.
Officials said the striped dolphin is about 1.7-metre long. It has no wounds and vets are still studying the cause of its distress.