Indonesian islanders eating beached whales

Indonesian islanders eating beached whales
Indonesian islanders eating beached whales

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Residents of a remote island in Indonesia are using dead pilot whales for food after more than 40 of the animals beached themselves on Monday.

According to the Daily Telegraph, 44 whales were stranded on the island of Savu in the East Nusa Tenggara province, where there is a culture of hunting the animals for their meat.

'Locals have hacked into around 11 whales so far and will probably use the flesh for meat,' Savu fishery office chief Dominggus Widu Hau said.

'When local fishermen found them before midnight, they were all still alive. But it was already late and there were not enough people to help push them back in.'

Over a dozen fishermen, navy and police officers were still struggling to keep the three surviving whales alive on Tuesday afternoon.

The mammals were identified by Jakarta Animal Aid Network and lay stranded around 500 feet from the coastline. The pilot whales were between six and 16 feet long.

According to marine biologists, pilot whales often become stranded en masse since they stick together in large groups, especially if one is sick.

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