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Rescuers put down beached whale Rescuers put down beached whale
(about 1 hour later)
A young whale which had become stranded on a north Wales beach has been put down by a rescue team.A young whale which had become stranded on a north Wales beach has been put down by a rescue team.
Rescuers were hopeful that the mammal, thought to be a minke whale, would survive after it swam back to sea after being stranded for several hours. Rescuers were hopeful that the mammal, thought to be a minke whale, would survive when it swam back to sea after being stranded for several hours.
But it became beached again between Criccieth and Pwllheli.But it became beached again between Criccieth and Pwllheli.
Tony Woodley from the charity British Dive Marine Life Rescue said it would be secured overnight and a post-mortem examination held on Wednesday. Tony Woodley from the charity British Dive Marine Life Rescue said it was a sad ending but necessary to prevent the orphaned calf from any more suffering.
The mammal was first spotted at about 1500 GMT on Tuesday high up on the beach. Shoving it back into the sea without its mother would have been a death sentence Tony Woodley, British Dive Marine Life Rescue
'Slim chance' Its carcass has been secured overnight and a post-mortem examination will be held on Wednesday.
After more than two hours and a major rescue effort, the three-metre long animal swam out on the high tide. Mr Woodley, the rescue group's director, said the decision to give the whale a lethal injection was only made after a lengthy assessment.
But later reports revealed it had become washed up on the beach for a second time. "Shoving it back into the sea without its mother would have been a death sentence," he told BBC News.
Earlier, Mr Woodley said the chances of survival of the whale, which he suggested could be as young as one year old, were "extremely slim". "It's dependent on its mother's milk and there was no evidence that there was an adult around."
He said that being out of the water for several hours would have caused serious and internal damage for the whale. The mammal, thought to be less than a year old, was first spotted at about 1500 GMT on Tuesday high up on the beach.
"They deteriorate very quickly when they are not supported by water," he said.
The animal had probably become separated from its mother and become disorientated and hungry before landing up on the beach, he added.
'Myfanwy''Myfanwy'
Earlier, coastguards sent a team to find the animal after receiving a report at around 1740 GMT that the animal had been stranded on the coast at Afon Wen. After more than two hours and a major rescue effort, the three-metre long animal swam out on the high tide.
Coastguards had helped to keep the whale upright in the water. But later reports revealed it had become washed up on the same stretch of beach for a second time.
"The people on the scene managed to get it to turn around and it swam off," a spokesman said. Dark and windy conditions made the rescue operation particularly tough for the team of volunteers but they did a "tremendous job", Mr Woodley said.
Holyhead coastguard said the whale had been nicknamed Myfanwy. He said had the team known about its plight earlier, more could have been done.
Holyhead coastguard, part of the rescue operation, said the whale had been nicknamed Myfanwy.
The post-mortem examination is expected to look at the condition of the whale's body and carry out tests on its blubber.
Mr Woodley said large species without support from water can suffer renal failure as muscle cells break down and cause toxins to be released.