Authorities are trying to solve the mystery of who stole the head of a dolphin from a remote beach on New Zealand’s chilly South Island.
Department of Conservation marine ranger Zac Penman explained a member of the public reported the dead animal to authorities. “It appears to be a dusky dolphin thought to have washed up naturally before someone took its head,” he said.
An image obtained by Yahoo News of the dead animal shows its headless, bloated body lying on a rocky beach near Kaikōura, north of Christchurch. A rock with a flower painted on it lying next to the dolphin is believed to be unrelated.
The Kaikōura region is a celebrated hotspot for marine life, including sperm whales that swim close to shore, seals, and several species of dolphin. And tourists visiting the region have been warned to “follow the rules” and refrain from stealing from its beaches.
New Zealand rocked by multiple wildlife body part thefts
In New Zealand, it is illegal to take or possess marine mammal body parts without a permit. Authorities have described the theft of the dolphin’s head as “completely unacceptable”, labelling it a “grisly act”.
“It’s not acceptable for people to interfere with protected wildlife, and it’s illegal to remove a protected species’ head,” Penman said.
It’s not the first time the head of a marine mammal has been stolen on the South Island. In May last year, brazen thieves used a chainsaw to remove the jaw of a sperm whale at Oreti Beach on the far south coast.
On the North Island, it’s dead seals that have been plundered for their bones. Two were found without heads at Muriwai on the west coast in June. Yahoo News does not suggest these incidents are related.
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