The skeleton from the carcass of the 40-feet blue whale that washed ashore a coast near Mumbai will now be kept for display at the Mangroves Cell of the Forest Department. A carcass of a blue whale was found on the Khar Danda beach in Uran on June 14, 2018. The skeletal remains of the whale were transported to Airoli. It will be kept on display at Airoli's Mangrove Cell Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre.
The carrying of the skeleton of the huge mammal was not an easy task. It took about 3 hours and it was taken from a 40-feet trailer. There was a car in front and the back of the trailer to ensure a smooth transfer. The officials had collected tissue samples to identify the species of the whale. "It appears to be a blue whale and is estimated to weigh around 20 tonnes. Our team has collected samples. We will bury the carcass at the site itself,” Vasudevan, additional principal chief conservator of forest had informed. The skeletal remains were removed with much care. A special team was called in from Alibaug who removed all the flesh and skin to just keep the bones. To get rid of the stench, phenyl was used.
Check the pictures of the blue whale's skeleton:
Whale vertebrae and other bones carefully removed by forest officials in Uran, in order to form the entire whale skeleton and display it later at the Airoli centre. (pic by Aashish Gharat) pic.twitter.com/RyOl9SHQwS
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“Hundred labourers, 30 police and forest officers helped in transporting the bones of the mammal. Mumbai will now have the preserved skeletal remains of the world’s largest mammal, which will boost research studies related to marine mammals along the Konkan coast,” said Makarand Ghodke, assistant conservator of forest who led this entire thing. The officials informed that it took 13 poles to carry the remains properly. And each pole was lifted by 8 people to move the skeleton on the trailer. The Mangroves Cell staff is certainly happy about the new addition but the entire process will take about 6 months to finish. "The skeleton will require chemical treatment and arrangement. The cartilage that will decompose will have to be discarded, before putting the remains on display. Besides that the paperwork will take time," Ghodke said. Many reasons were speculated for the cause of the death but it has revealed, it died a natural death.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 20, 2018 11:01 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).