Rescuers Save 11 Beached Whales In Australia

November 23, 2008 8:30 a.m. EST

Sydney, Australia (AHN) - Local rescuers on Sunday used trucks to move the remaining 11 pilot whales stranded on a beach in Tasmania in southeastern Australia.

Originally, 64 pilot whales, mostly females and calves, were beached on Anthony's Beach in Tasmania on Saturday, but 52 of the animals have already died when rescuers found them.

Another whale died overnight despite efforts by rescuers to pour water on the giant animal's body to prevent overheating.

The rescuers used nets around the animals and placed them on trucks to move the whales to another beach and dragged them to sea.

Chris Arthur of Tasmania's Parks and Wildlife Service said the whales measures between three and five meters and weighed up to 1.5 tonnes. They used car trailers to transport the animals 11 miles to another beach.