TOMAS, LA UNION—In a concrete tank, “Agustina” swims feebly, aided by an orange floater from which it tries to wriggle away. It also had wounds which could have been inflicted by other creatures like sharks or when it hit rocks or was caught by a net, according to the BFAR staff. The employees filled the tank with sea water and consulted a government veterinarian in another province about the best medication regimen for Agustina, Sarmiento said. Shark biteThe BFAR staff also detected a wound on the whale’s side, which veterinarian Samantha Licudine described as a shark bite. Dexter Sarmiento, a BFAR employee trained to handle marine mammal stranding, prodded the whale to eat by placing fish near its mouth.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 08, 2017 16:07 UTC