Race to save #whales in #Tasmania mass #stranding.

Tasmanian Govt said 157 #falsekillerwhales had beached near #ArthurRiver, in the state’s north west.

Conservation experts & vets at the site estimate about 90 of the animals - which witnesses say include juveniles - are still alive. They are planning an operation to return them to sea. #auspol

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd7e38py4geo.

Australia: Scores of false killer whales to be euthanised after mass stranding in Tasmania

Though 90 of the 157 stranded whales survived, they could not be saved due to complex conditions.

Clues for the #evolution of #menopause in whales β€” and humans?
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/22/1198909539/menopause-humans-whales-evolution

The evolution of menopause in #ToothedWhales https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07159-9

"menopause is something of an evolutionary blip. We are one of the few #animals to experience it... There are five species of toothed #whales that undergo menopause β€” short-finned #PilotWhales, #FalseKillerWhales, #KillerWhales, #narwhals and #belugas β€” making it the type of animal that is known to have evolved menopause most frequently."

The only other mammals to go through the menopause live longer because of it

Being post-menopausal means these species can have long lives without competing with their daughters

The Independent
Study shows links between Australia's false killer whales and endangered groups from Hawaii

False killer whales off the Northern Australia coast need their conservation status reviewed because of similarities they share with groups from Hawaii listed as Endangered in the U.S., a Charles Darwin University (CDU) researcher says.

Phys.org