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| Hunstanton whale: Guards protect stranded carcass | Hunstanton whale: Guards protect stranded carcass |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Security guards have been employed to prevent people from "scavenging" from the corpse of a sperm whale that got stranded on a beach and died. | Security guards have been employed to prevent people from "scavenging" from the corpse of a sperm whale that got stranded on a beach and died. |
| The 30ft (9.1m) male sperm whale died at Hunstanton, Norfolk, on Friday after a rescue attempt failed. | |
| Brian Long, from King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, said the guards would stop people touching it or removing parts from the body. | Brian Long, from King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, said the guards would stop people touching it or removing parts from the body. |
| The carcass is due to be cut up and removed from the beach. | The carcass is due to be cut up and removed from the beach. |
| Read more on this story and others from Norfolk | Read more on this story and others from Norfolk |
| By Sunday the bodies of three sperm whales, believed to be from the same pod, were washed up in Skegness, Lincolnshire. | By Sunday the bodies of three sperm whales, believed to be from the same pod, were washed up in Skegness, Lincolnshire. |
| One of the carcasses exploded earlier during an examination by scientists. | One of the carcasses exploded earlier during an examination by scientists. |
| At the weekend crowds stood close to the whale at Hunstanton, with some touching and stroking it. | At the weekend crowds stood close to the whale at Hunstanton, with some touching and stroking it. |
| Mr Long, who took his son to see it on Sunday, said: "It can nurture an understanding that you just don't get from seeing a picture in a book or on the television." | Mr Long, who took his son to see it on Sunday, said: "It can nurture an understanding that you just don't get from seeing a picture in a book or on the television." |
| "[But] we don't want to see people scavenging, as has happened before." | "[But] we don't want to see people scavenging, as has happened before." |
| The council will employ a contractor that specialises in the disposal of animals to remove the body, which Mr Long said is estimated to weigh about 30 tonnes. | The council will employ a contractor that specialises in the disposal of animals to remove the body, which Mr Long said is estimated to weigh about 30 tonnes. |
| "Because of its size and weight, it needs to be removed section by section and it's not pleasant at all," he said. | "Because of its size and weight, it needs to be removed section by section and it's not pleasant at all," he said. |
| Scientists from the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme investigate all whale, dolphin and porpoise strandings in the UK and have taken samples from the carcass. | Scientists from the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme investigate all whale, dolphin and porpoise strandings in the UK and have taken samples from the carcass. |
| Programme organiser Rob Deaville, said they will test the skin, blubber, teeth and blood to ascertain cause of death. | Programme organiser Rob Deaville, said they will test the skin, blubber, teeth and blood to ascertain cause of death. |
| This then determines how the body is disposed of, either by incineration or disposal in landfill. | This then determines how the body is disposed of, either by incineration or disposal in landfill. |
| Sperm whales are deep sea mammals and do not belong in the shallow waters of the North Sea. | Sperm whales are deep sea mammals and do not belong in the shallow waters of the North Sea. |
| About five or six sperm whales are stranded in the UK each year. | About five or six sperm whales are stranded in the UK each year. |