January 17, 2006	Tuesday	Zilhaj 16, 1426

KARACHI, Jan 16: Body of a whale which had died many days back washed ashore on the Hawkesbay beach early on Sunday morning. Responding to the Dawn queries, the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) conservation officer Babar Hussain said that approximately 36-foot-long whale had died of natural cause about 10 to 15 days back.

The body is stinking.

He said that pieces of tail and dorsal fin of the dead whale had been eaten by the marine creatures. The skeleton of the whale would be shifted to Karachi University, he added.

He said that the WWF along with Karachi University and Millport University (UK) was carrying out a three-year Cetacean Conservation Project under which whales, dolphins and other marine creatures were being studied.

He said that earlier body of a sperm whale that had washed ashore near the Mubarrak Village near Hawkesbay was recovered and shifted to the Karachi University for its educational use.

Sindh Wildlife Conservator Ghulam Rasool Channa said he had deputed an official, Dr Fahmida Firdous, to check the marine creature that had washed ashore and she, most probably, would submit a report after which anything could be said on the issue.

It may be recalled that sometime back, body of another whale had washed ashore between the DHA and Korangi coast.

The skeleton was recovered and is being kept at the wildlife museum.