Investigation underway in removal of endangered false killer whale

Police in South China’s Guangdong province are investigating a tourist suspected of illegal transportation of an endangered whale, according to a statement on the Guangdong Marine and Fishery Department’s WeChat on Tuesday.

Identification from the South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute showed that the dolphin-like animal carried on the shoulder of a tourist surnamed Zhang was a baby false killer whale, a Class-II protected species in China, the local fishery administration said.

Video footage of the man carrying the animal on his shoulder on the beach on Hailing Island, a tourist destination in Guangdong, appeared on microblogging site Sina Weibo on May 1, fueling a public outcry. The administration and local police started a joint investigation.

The animal, about 120 cm long and 15 kg in weight, had scars on its body and seemed dead when it was seen on the beach, a witness told the administration.

The local fishery administration on May 4 asked the institute to identify the animal through video clips and confirmed it was a false killer whale. On May 7, the administration found the tourist, who admitted he took the dead whale after it was stranded on the beach.

The tourist gave the whale's body back to the administration on May 10 and underwent an investigation. He expressed his regret and apologized for removing the animal's body and showing it to tourists and the public. The administration sent the body to the institute for a second identification and confirmed it was false killer whale.

According to the animal law, anyone who discovers the body of a wild animal must report the matter to authorities, rather than take it away.

“The awareness of animal protection is an important symbol of social civilization progress and a necessary quality of citizens. The government should step up education campaigns of the animal law through the internet and other media, as well as improve the tip-off mechanism,” said Sun Quanhui, chief scientist from World Animal Protection, an international nonprofit animal welfare organization.