In a startling occurrence on Kingscliff beach, located on the Tweed Coast in the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW), a great white shark was discovered washed ashore. The incident unfolded on Monday morning (Mar 4), with lifeguards monitoring the 3.5-metre shark as it navigated along the coastline.
Reports indicate that the female shark was observed struggling along the shoreline before eventually washing up on the beach. Following its discovery, a veterinary team from Sea World, situated on the Gold Coast, was summoned to evaluate the condition of the shark. Unfortunately, due to its precarious state, the decision was made to euthanize the animal. Subsequently, a bulldozer was requisitioned to safely transport the shark for further examination through necropsy.
Siobhan Houlihan, supervisor at Sea World’s shark bay, conveyed to ABC that the shark was identified as a mature female. “We’ve come down to see if there’s anything that we can do to help this animal,” Houlihan stated. “Unfortunately, as we’ve got here, she’s beached herself and is not in a good way.”
Houlihan emphasized that the team would conduct a comprehensive necropsy to determine the underlying cause of the shark’s distress, underscoring the rarity of sharks beaching themselves.
In a statement, Sea World disclosed that the shark had displayed signs of poor health, and the unusual thrashing behavior observed prior to its beaching was deemed atypical for the species. “Sadly, the shark was in a poor condition after beaching, and the Sea World veterinary team administered medications to make the shark comfortable while it was humanely euthanized,” a spokesperson from Sea World remarked, as cited by the Guardian. Additionally, the spokesperson noted, “The shark appeared to have underlying health issues, with the thrashing behavior seen in the shallows prior to the beaching not typical for the species.”
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