Phuket vets unable to save striped dolphin
The striped dolphin that was washed up on Phuket’s Kamala beach last week, died on Monday, while the sperm whale which was found at Coconut Island is reported to have died of natural causes.
Veterinarians at the Phuket Marine Endangered Species Unit said on Tuesday: “The dolphin had a blood infection.
We tried to help the dolphin to the best of our ability. We didn’t find anything inside the animal, but its spleen and stomach were found inflamed. These are normal symptoms from trauma.
“The dead sperm whale which was washed up on the beach at Coconut Island last week also had a blood infection. The whale died because of natural causes. It had been choked by water and its stomach had become infected. Air bubbles were found inside the windpipe.
“Parasites were found in the sperm whale in a higher concentration than usual. This is the first time that a sperm whale has been found [washed up] this year,” the vets explained.