SAVANNAH, Georgia, USA (AP) — A newborn specimen of right whale that was seen with severe head injuries off the coast of Georgia has little chance of survival, although scientists could try to inject antibiotics using antibiotics a syringe fired with an air gun, if they can get close enough in a safe manner, experts from the state government Unidos.La on Monday reported fog-in-the-presence along the coast, delaying efforts to locate the whale and its mother from the air. The first time the calf was seen in the air was on Wednesday, and a ship came close enough on Friday on St. Simons Island for scientists to conclude that their wounds were worse than feared.
“If you’re talking about an animal that has an uphill fight, it has one on Mount Everest,” said Barb Zoodsma, who is in charge of the whale recovery program in the southeastern United States for the National Marine Fisheries Service.Scientists estimate that there are currently 400 or fewer specimens of the northern Atlantic Ocean’s right whales. The wounded calf was seen by one of the aerial reconnaissance teams flying over the coasts of Georgia and Florida during the winter months to look for newborn specimens swimming with their mothers. Photographs taken by air and sea revealed deep cuts on both sides of the whale’s mouth, as well as an incision at the top of the head near the spiracle, said Teri Rowles, veterinarian of the fishing service. He noted that the wounds, probably caused by the propellant of a ship, indicate that the calf probably lost a significant amount of blood. And mouth injuries could permanently affect your ability to feed.” After a review by several experts, both biologists and clinical veterinarians, we changed the prognosis to bad,” Rowles said. “In other words, we would say that it is unlikely that he will survive.” There are few things humans can do to help. A special team was ready on Monday to approach the whale and his mother again, if they could be seen from the air.
The injured whale is the fourth spotted off the coast of the southeastern United States since mid-December.
The deaths of right whales have surpassed births in recent years, raising concerns among researchers about the species’ survival prospects. In the winter of last year, seven right whale pups were recorded during daily inspection flights off the coast of Georgia and Florida. In contrast, at least 10 specimens of the species were found dead in 2019.
