Timmy the whale found dead off the coast of Denmark
Kyiv • UNN
Danish authorities have confirmed the death of Timmy the humpback whale, who had previously been rescued in Germany. The animal was identified by a tracker found on its body.
Danish authorities have confirmed that the humpback whale found dead near Anholt is Timmy, who was rescued off the coast of Germany, UNN reports with reference to Bild.
Details
The humpback whale found dead near the Danish island of Anholt is the same animal that previously ran aground off the coasts of Schleswig-Holstein and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. This was confirmed by the Danish Environmental Protection Agency.
Final certainty was provided today by a tracker found on the whale. The tracking device is now in the possession of the Danish government. It was previously reported that no tracker had been found on the dead whale.
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Addendum
Timmy the whale had captured the attention of all of Germany for several weeks.
"If it is confirmed that this is the same whale whose fate has concerned everyone in recent weeks, I will feel only one thing — sadness," expert Fabian Ritter, head of the marine animal protection NGO M.E.E.R. e.V., previously stated.
The animal's death, according to him, was predictable. In an interview with BILD, the whale researcher explained: "I have repeatedly said that due to its general condition, the whale was not a candidate for such measures even before transport. Its general condition probably led to what was feared happening."
Ritter again criticized the rescue operation. He had always advocated for leaving the whale on the sandbar and letting it "die naturally": "Even if it was unbearable for many people."
The expert does not venture to assess whether Timmy was released too early or in an inappropriate location during transport. However, he noted: "It was definitely a location with very heavy shipping traffic, and the path for the whale back to its natural habitat was still very, very long."