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35 pilot whales rescued out of 230 stranded in Tasmania

Australia Whales
Australia Whales
Posted at 12:01 PM, Sep 22, 2022
and last updated 2022-09-22 13:01:29-04

Australian wildlife experts say they rescued 35 of the 230 stranded whales found on a beach in Tasmania earlier this week.

In an update on Thursday, a marine conservation team from the Department of Natural Resources and Environment said they were working alongside the Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service and police to release the surviving pod that was found stranded on Ocean Beach.

The group told the Associated Press that 32 of the surviving pilot whales would be rescued Thursday, while three of them will be saved on Friday.

According to the news outlet, pilot whales are known for stranding in mass numbers, but their reason is not entirely understood.

Two years ago to the day, the island saw the largest mass stranding in Australia's history when about 470 long-finned pilot whales were found in the same harbor, the news outlet reported.

According to the Associated Press, it took officials a week to rescue them, of which only 111 survived.

The wildlife group said several roads leading to the beach are closed and the Macquarie Heads boat ramp until further notice.