30-foot dead whale recovered from Andharmanik River in Taltoli
Waliullah Emran, Barguna
The Forest Department and Coast Guard have recovered a dead whale, about 30 feet long, from the Andharmanik River in Taltoli Upazila of Barguna.
The whale was rescued from the river near Kheyaghat in Charpara area of Barobogi Union of the upazila on Wednesday at around 12 noon.
According to local and forest department sources, the whale entered the Andharmanik River after floating from the Bay of Bengal. The whale died a few days ago and its body began to decompose, causing a foul smell. The locals initially brought the whale to the river bank, but later floated it back into the river due to the foul smell. Upon receiving the information, members of the Nishanbaria Forest Department went to the spot and rescued the whale.
The forest department said the whale was about 30 feet long, 15 feet wide and weighed an estimated 5 to 6 tons. After collecting samples, efforts have been made to bury the whale in a safe place to avoid environmental pollution.
Taltali Range Officer Ziaur Rahman said, "After receiving the news, I reached the spot with members of the Forest Department. The huge whale is rotting and is emitting a foul smell. It will be buried to avoid environmental pollution."
Taltoli UNO Atish Sarkar said, "A delegation from the Forest Department has reached the spot after receiving the news. Coast Guard members are also there. Necessary measures are being taken regarding the dead whale. However, the species of the huge black whale has not yet been confirmed."
