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German minister defends decision to allow attempt to rescue whale Timmy
TL;DR
German authorities defended their decision to attempt a risky rescue of Timmy, a stranded humpback whale, despite expert warnings. Timmy's death was confirmed by Danish authorities after being transported to the North Sea.
Key points
- German authorities defended a risky rescue attempt for Timmy the whale
- Experts warned the rescue was inadvisable due to Timmy's injuries
- Timmy was found stranded on Timmendorfer beach nearly two months ago
- Timmy's death was confirmed by Danish authorities after the rescue
- Danish authorities warned against approaching Timmy's carcass
Mentioned in this story
Timmendorfer beachDenmarkNorth SeaKattegat
Timmy
German authorities have defended their decision to allow a risky rescue attempt of a stranded whale to go ahead, despite experts warning it was “inadvisable” because the animal was hurt and unlikely to survive.
The saga of the whale, known as Timmy, had gripped Germany since the beached humpback was spotted stranded on Timmendorfer beach, a sandbank in shallow waters near the coast, nearly two months ago.
On Saturday the whale’s death was confirmed by Danish authorities, two weeks after it was transported to the North Sea in a rescue attempt.
Denmark’s Environmental Protection Agency said a whale had been found dead on Friday near the small island of Anholt in the Kattegat, a broad strait between Denmark and Sweden, and confirmed it was Timmy on Saturday.
The agency told people to stay away from the whale’s body due to the possibility it may carry diseases, but on Sunday the Bild newspaper reported that a pair of beach-goers had apparently posed for selfies next to the animal’s carcass.
The whale was floated away from the sandbank and into a water-filled barge which was towed to the open sea. Photograph: Action Press/Shutterstock
Till Backhaus, the Social Democratic (SPD) environment minister for the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, insisted he had been right to allow the privately-funded mission to go ahead, saying it was “perfectly human to seize even the slightest opportunity”.
In comments reported by Bild, he added: “It was always a matter of weighing up which option was the worst: waiting for the animal’s certain death in agony or giving him one last chance and potentially exposing him to stress.”
Q&A
What happened to the whale Timmy in Germany?
Timmy, a stranded humpback whale, was confirmed dead by Danish authorities after a rescue attempt was made.
Why was the rescue attempt for Timmy considered risky?
Experts warned that the rescue was inadvisable due to Timmy's injuries and low chances of survival.
Where was Timmy found stranded before the rescue attempt?
Timmy was spotted stranded on Timmendorfer beach, a sandbank in shallow waters near the German coast.
What did Danish authorities advise regarding Timmy's carcass?
Danish authorities advised people to stay away from Timmy's carcass due to the potential risk of diseases.
