50 Chinese Villagers Band Together to Save Stranded Whale

Residents of Zhanjiang, China worked together in an effort to save a grey-colored whale that got washed ashore on a local beach on Monday.

The five-meter-long mammal was discovered lying on the beach by local villagers about 20 meters away from the shoreline, Reuters reported. Struggling to breathe and in growing danger of dehydration due to exposure to the sun’s extreme heat, the whale appeared to be in dire need of rescue by the time it was found.

More than 50 villagers, policemen and officials reportedly joined forces to conduct an impromptu rescue operation. The rescuers however, found it difficult when the whale flapped its tail vigorously while trying to protect itself every time people got near it. To keep the whale partially hydrated, the villagers sprayed water onto the whale.

The villagers then called for additional help by contacting the fishery department and the border patrol guards. The team improvised by digging a ditch to channel some water to the whale to ease the rescue. They also made a makeshift cradle to carry the whale back into the water. After an hour of concerted effort, the whale was able to swim back to the sea.

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