The male dolphin, about 1.70 meters long, 80 centimetres wide and weighing approxiamtely 80 kilograms, was discovered to have endured three wounds and was in a weak condition before being taken away by officials from the Sireetarn Marine Endangered Animal Rescue Center for treatment.
Sorasak Rananan, the head of Sirinath National Park, was notified of the situation around 7:30am this morning by Watcharathorn Klangkua, Thalang Sub-district Chief Executive, after a group of tourists and local residents saw the stranded dolphin off Koh Pling and called for help.
Mr Sorasak immediately alerted rescue teams from the Saku Subdistrict Administrative Organisation and Muang Mai branch of the Phuket Foundation who rushed to the dolphin’s aid. They administered basic first aid to the wounds and moved the stricken mammal onto a stretcher before staff from the Sireetarn Marine Endangered Animal Rescue Center took over.
After inspecting the dolphin, Dr Patcharaporn Kaewmong, a vet from the Sireetarn Marine Endangered Animal Rescue Center, confirmed the mammal had one wound at the base of its tail, one large abrasion on the side of its body and one wound near its mouth. He added the dolphin was clearly exhausted and in a very weak state, but was still able to flap his tail in the water.
The dolphin was then moved onto a special rescue stretcher before being carried ashore and taken to the Rescue Center in Wichit.
It was not immediately disclosed how the dolphin came to have endured the wounds but Dr Patcharaporn speculated they resembled those of a mammal being caught in discarded fishing nets. Mr Sorasak added he believed it to likely be a fishing net discarded elsewhere that had washed up at Nai Yang beach.
Mr Sorasak also explained that around 1pm yesterday afternoon local villagers had advised him that a dolphin had become beached in a similar spot. They managed to help guide the mammal back to deeper waters and it swam off. Mr Sorasak said this particular dolphin did not exhibit any clear wounds so he is unsure whether it is the same one that was washed ashore this morning.
He added that he has given orders for a series of officers from the park to regularly patrol the area in the event any further dolphins find themselves in difficulty.
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