A uncommon kind of whale has washed ashore in New Zealand, with officers saying “nothing is known about” such a specie.
The whale was discovered final week alongside a seashore close to Taiari Mouth within the South Island area of Otago when locals notified the Department of Conservation (DoC).
Around 5-meter lengthy, the DoC stated in a press release: “It appears the creature was a male spade-toothed whale-a species so rare next to nothing is known about them.”
DoC official Gabe Davies stated: “If confirmed, this will be a very significant scientific find.”
“Spade-toothed whales are one of the most poorly known large mammalian species of modern times. Since the 1800s, only 6 samples have ever been documented worldwide, and all but one of these was from New Zealand. From a scientific and conservation point of view, this is huge,” stated Davies, who’s DoC Coastal Otago Operations Manager.
The DoC is engaged on subsequent steps to make a plan for the whale’s stays.
“A specimen this fresh offers the first opportunity ever for a spade-toothed whale to be dissected,” it stated.
The DoC has despatched genetic samples to the University of Auckland as curators of the New Zealand Cetacean Tissue Archive.
It could take a number of weeks or months for the DNA to be processed and a remaining species ID to be confirmed, the assertion added.
Source: www.anews.com.tr