Kendrapara, April 10 A 32-foot-long endangered Bryde's whale washed ashore at the Madali beach in Kendrapara district of Odisha, forest officials said on Friday.
The massive mammal, weighing around 10 tonnes, was found on the beach within the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. It was a challenging task for the forest personnel to retrieve the animal's body from the beach, the official said.
The forest department plans to preserve the remains of the animal for posterity, he said.
The official stated that the animal's carcass bore signs of injury, indicating that it is listed as a threatened marine species in the IUCN Red List.
The animal is classified as Schedule I under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. "We are still deciding whether to bury or not the carcass after the post-mortem," said the forest officials.
The mammal may have died after being hit by either a ship or a trawl propeller, he said.
"After completing the necessary legal formalities, including the post-mortem, we will seek suggestions from senior officials regarding the preservation of the whale's skeletal remains," the official said.
Many curious villagers, including fishermen, gathered at the beach to witness the giant whale.
The whale was highly decomposed and showed signs of previous entanglement. Entanglement is common with this species due to their feeding habits.
The forest officials will take samples from the animal to determine the cause of death, added the forest officer.