Lost baby whale to be euthanized*

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*UPDATE, 7 a.m. Fri., Aug. 22: The baby whale was euthanized today, the Associated Press reports.

SYDNEY, Australia — Wildlife officials are moving with plans to euthanize an injured and abandoned baby humpback whale that has been trying to suckle boats in the waters off Sydney.

The decision was made after veterinarians and marine researchers examined the whale, determining that its condition had deteriorated to the point that euthanizing it was the most humane thing to do.

But officials then were unable to find the whale in the dark waters of Pittwater Inlet.

The whale was finally located, and officials moved ahead with plans to sedate it before administering a fatal dose of drugs.

[A video report on the baby whale can be found embedded on the right side of this page.]

The plight of the whale, which Australians have nicknamed “Colin,” has dominated news coverage here since it was first sighted Sunday and began trying to suckle from boats it apparently mistook for its mother.

“We have a whale whose condition has deteriorated rapidly over the last 24 hours, and who now experts are telling us is suffering, and we’ve had to make the hard decision to euthanize the whale,” said Sally Barnes, deputy director-general of the New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change. “It’s a very emotional decision.”

She said officials had sought out national and international advice on how to deal with the lost whale but its condition had become too poor to treat. Some Australians have accused wildlife officials of not doing enough to help the calf or trying to feed it.

Previous attempts to guide the whale back to open waters have failed, with the creature preferring to stick close to the boats.

One effort came from Aboriginal whale whisperer Bunna Lawrie. Adorned with feathers on his head and white paint markings on his face, Lawrie reached into the water to stroke Colin while singing a humming, tongue-rolling tune.

But after a few minutes the whale swam away to nuzzle a nearby yacht. “He’s missing the big fellas,” said Lawrie, whose visit was broadcast on Channel 10 television.

Reporters were barred from reaching the inlet via land, and maritime police physically blocked a boat carrying members of a rescue group and several reporters.

-- Associated Press