For
two weeks, scientists have been tracking the Northern Right
Whale and planning the unprecedented rescue mission.
A heavy fishing line is wrapped around the 20-year-old male's
jaw and deeply imbedded in its head. It has caused an infection
in the whale that continues to spread. Scientists say the
infection will kill the whale unless the line is removed.
"It
looks terrible," said David Mattila of the Center for Coastal
Studies. "It makes you sick in the stomach and the heart
to see an animal in that kind of shape."
For
the rescue, Mattila and other scientists, who have saved more
than fifty whales, created special hand tools to cut the line.
But they have never seen something so deeply embedded or tried
to remove a line at sea from the notoriously powerful Right
whale which can be dangerous when angry.
Since
the line is around the head, rescuers would approach the whale
in a small inflatable boat at its most perilous spot, easy targets
for the tail.
"We're
dealing with a huge animal," said Charles Mayo, center
for Coastal Studies. "Fifty, say 50 tons, 50 feet in length.
It probably doesn't know we're trying to help it."
So,
rescuers plan to do something never tried before. They plan
to sedate the giant mammal with a tranquilizer.
Veterinarians
and others involved in the rescue rushed to New Jersey to examine
a young Northern Right Whale found dead off Long Island hoping
there would be clues to the sedation in an autopsy.
One
question rescuers have is 'how much do you give a 50-ton whale
in a dart fired by a crossbow?'
Another
question, rescuers have is 'what is the best area to inject
the whale?'
The
scientists are determined to try anything - even putting themselves
in harm's way because there are only 300 Northern Right whales
left and every death leads it closer to extinction.
"We're
working right on the edge," said Mayo. "But considering
the status of the animal and the condition of Right whales,
it seems reasonable."
(Agencies)
Updated: 2001-06-27 01:00