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A Dolphin Death Whodunit In Peru
Discovery News ^ | 5-24-2012 | Tim Wall

Posted on 05/25/2012 5:03:33 PM PDT by Renfield

The Peruvian government claims that nearly 900 dolphins died of natural causes between February and April of this year. A separate dolphin necropsy disagrees with this statement and lays the blame on bursts of high-pressure compressed air used to look for oil deposits beneath the ocean.

The government’s report didn’t say what killed the dolphins or why so many died at one time. Blaming natural causes doesn’t specify any particular culprit. And it seems odd that 800 individuals all died at once, especially considering they were of different ages and species. It would be as if everyone at a shopping mall just suddenly died and the coroner said it was perfectly natural. But the government claims it has happened before.

“It happens periodically, it isn’t the first time. It has happened in New Zealand, Australia, and other countries. There is no need to find other reasons that are not it,” said Gladys Triveño, Peru’s Minister of Production in EuropaPress....

(Excerpt) Read more at news.discovery.com ...


TOPICS: Outdoors; Pets/Animals; Science
KEYWORDS: dolphins; peru

IMAGE: A dead dolphin on a beach of Caleta San Jose, Peru. (CREDIT: Corbis)

Fractured middle ear bones found by the ORCA necropsy (CREDIT: The Organization for Research and Conservation of Aquatic Animals)

1 posted on 05/25/2012 5:03:44 PM PDT by Renfield
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To: Renfield

Sad for the dolphins, but they as curious as cats....


2 posted on 05/25/2012 5:57:59 PM PDT by Amberdawn
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To: Renfield
Rosebud ......


3 posted on 05/25/2012 5:59:33 PM PDT by VeniVidiVici (Congrats to Ted Kennedy! He's been sober for two years now!!)
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To: Amberdawn

Cats merely look for something small that moves so they can attack and kill it. Dolphins are genuinely curious and have a brain capable of more than the mere reflex actions (Feed! Fight! Flee! F**k! - repeat ad nauseam and that is feline existence.


4 posted on 05/25/2012 8:47:25 PM PDT by GladesGuru (In a society predicated upon freedom, it is necessary to examine principles."...the public interest)
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To: GladesGuru

Yes, curiosity being a sign of intelligence. I suppose there’s a researcher out there who can come up with a sonar sound to keep them away from oil rigs. Who knows?


5 posted on 05/25/2012 8:52:39 PM PDT by Amberdawn
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