Injured Baby Humpback Whale Euthanized By Aussie Vets

Sydney, Australia (AHN) - Australian veterinarians euthanized Friday a baby humpback whale that had been separated from its mother. Its health had deteriorated after being unable to feed on its own.

The 4.5-yard-long whale, dubbed Colin, was guided by wildlife officials close to the shore in north Sydney, raised onto a tarp and pulled into a beach tent, where it was administered a sedative to calm it before being injected with a lethal dose of anesthesia.

The New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) released a statement saying it euthanized the whale on the advice of veterinarians from Taronga Zoo and Sea World, and in consultation with two animal welfare groups.

"That was the best way it could have been done," NPWS spokesman John Dengate told the Sydney Morning Herald.

A group of people in Pittwater had protested the euthanasia. One shipping company tried to get a court injunction to stop the mercy killing.

The whale was found Sunday in an area called The Basin trying to suckle yachts. The plight of the whale caught worldwide media attention and local groups clamored to be allowed to force feed the dying Colin.