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Wounded Pygmy Whale Is Euthanized
A diagram of a pygmy sperm whale. Below is a long-finned pilot whale.
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NOAA Photo Library
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An injured pygmy sperm whale found washed up on Malibu's Surfrider Beach Sunday has been euthanized.
After its discovery by L.A. County lifeguards and firefighters, the whale was transported to the California Wildlife Center in Malibu.
The mammal was euthanized to avoid additional suffering, according to the Wildlife Center, which said in a statement the whale was "in poor health and had sustained many injuries as a result of hitting against low-tide rocks."
The whale was about seven feet long, said lifeguard Jake Miller.
He said the whale was transported with "what kind of looks like a stretcher, where we can put an animal in between it, lift it and put it in the back of one of our trucks for transport."
The Wildlife Center said it worked with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to euthanize the whale humanely.
Officials said they would send the carcass to the Natural History Museum of L.A. County for further study.
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