Despite fruitless rescue attempts, whale dies, from eating 80 plastic bags

Given the current narrative of a world increasingly being saddled by pollution and ecological crises, the common saying about our planet may change from being a paradise on earth to being an absolute mess here on the earth.

Water-crises, environmental crises, excessive usage of plastic, unwise dumping of plastic, excessive reliance on hydrocarbons and the classic, quintessential grimace on poorly utilising the available resources- just how far can mankind go in damaging all life on this earth?

You understand instantly that the current sombre narratives are not a shot in the dark nor a false alarm when it becomes clear that the worst suffering on part of our failure is experienced by the animals. On June 3, 2018, the world perhaps may have got another huge, loud-sounding warning regarding the ensuing environmental crises when a whale couldn’t be saved despite regular attempts at resuscitation.

It appeared that the aquatic mammal had consumed about 80 plastic bags. Few things could be sadder than this bitter truth about a waning animal that couldn’t be saved. This is when it had nothing to do with causing pollution and had no part to play in careless, reckless dumping of plastic in the ocean.

At almost every possible instance in public and social life are we told about not to consume plastics and yet, there’s hardly anything that, on the present scheme of things, can be written home about with regards to an improvement of this decaying situation. The dead whale, recovered in southern Thailand wasn’t left on its fate. Onlookers and revellers around the seas rushed instantly to help the now deceased animal but sadly, nothing could be done to revive the hapless mammal.

But while this may have been a stand-alone incident, there are statistics that pose a worrying picture about the life of whales. It has been reported by the eminent Whale and Dolphin Conservation Institute that from the onset of the period 1985-86, Whale numbers have been steadily declining. Fears are paramount that the otherwise harmless albeit giant and scary-looking resident of the waters may soon become a grizzly picture in children’s comic books and an instance of mere imagination phasing out from its actual behemoth size.

Whales, found mostly in diverse geographies like Japan, Iceland, Norway and other nations have been consistently declining in numbers. The whale that lost its life having fed on plastics apparently dumped carelessly into the waters was a small pilot whale. In fact, in an effort to revive the animal battling for its life, even a veterinary team was rushed to the spot but to no avail. The spot of its death was a part of Thailand that shares its border with Malaysia, in a canal.

But above all, the most worrying thing pointing once again sharply to the current scope of damage that mankind has already caused to the environment is that when the plastic recovered from the whale’s body was measured- it stood at some 8 kilograms. If this isn’t bitter then one wonders, what will ever be?

During the rescue attempt that ultimately failed, the whale vomited all plastic bags which were responsible for choking out all vital organs inside the body. Here’s what’s being discussed rather urgently back in Thailand. It appears that Thailand is among the largest users of plastic. The deadly and toxic material has, for its innumerable ills, evidenced a vocal outcry in countries like Great Britain that’s nearly passed solid legislatures and bills calling for a permanent ban on many plastic materials used in food production in England. Already, there’s been a massive campaign banning the usage of plastic straws in restaurants and pubs and the article no longer sold inside grocery stores.

The perspective, all would want Thailand to reflect on is whether it can initiate some urgent laws and pass some legal procedures that ban the use of plastic or if not, then impose severe restrictions on its use.