30
October 2015
Marine
wildlife experts believe dolphins attacked a young pilot whale which was found
stranded on a beach in Skye.
Vets
had to put down the badly injured three-year-old female calf, which was
discovered on Tuesday at Dunvegan.
Teeth
marks were found on the whale's body, flippers and dorsal fin.
The
Scottish Marine Animals Stranding Scheme and Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust
(HWDT) suspect the calf was attacked by bottlenose dolphins.
HWDT
said it was awaiting a final report following a post-mortem examination of the
whale.
Dr
Conor Ryan, the trust's sightings and strandings officer, said: "If indeed
bottlenose dolphins were to blame, this is only the second such case that we
are aware of in the UK.
"Pilot
whales often strand dead and occasionally alive on our coasts, but rarely with
these types of injuries."
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