New details have emerged after a juvenile whale was found deceased on a South Australian beach – with one suspected cause of death ruled out.
Visitors to Dump Beach, near Victor Harbor, on Thursday were greeted with the carcass of a beached whale, believed to be a juvenile minke.
Authorities were alerted to the marooned marine mammal via the Primary Industry Regions SA (PIRSA) hotline, with the Department for Environment and Water responding.
A PIRSA spokesman confirmed on Thursday that the carcass would be tested for H5 bird flu to determine whether it had become the state’s latest mammal victim of the new strain.
“Preliminary specification has identified the whale as a juvenile minke; however, further analysis of species will occur during necropsy,” a spokesman said.
“Rangers did not detect any external injuries. The carcass has been removed and will undergo a necropsy and laboratory testing – including for H5 bird flu and algal toxins – to determine the cause of death.
“The death of marine mammals, while unfortunate, is not an uncommon occurrence.”
However, test results on Friday confirmed that the whale was not killed by H5 bird flu, having returned a negative result.
Since the avian flu reached Australian shores, it has torn through native bird species and also begun to spread to mammals.
An urban red fox found in Adelaide has already been confirmed as a case, as have seals and dolphins.
Authorities urged beachgoers to steer clear of the carcass as a safety precaution, with testing also set to be carried out for other illness.
It remains unclear what the cause of the whale’s death was, with tests also being carried out to see if algal toxins may have played a part.
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