Feature Image: Oyster Radio Blog
Late last month a young rough-toothed dolphin was found stranded on the shore of a Fort Meyers Beach with its stomach full of trash including a large amount of plastic and a balloon.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were forced to euthanize the emaciated calf after a failed attempt to treat it. Unfortunately, the calf was already too close to death and even with significant veterinary care, the animal would have likely not survived.
Although there was a significant amount of plastic in its stomach, FWC says it has not yet determined a cause of death. In a statement to the press, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said, “Although a significant finding, there are many additional factors to consider, such as underlying illness, disease, and maternal separation, before a final cause of stranding and death for the dolphin can be determined. Samples collected during necropsy will be sent for analysis to help with this determination.”
However, the officials went on to remind the public that we need to move away from single-use plastic. Also, FWC asked the public to remember to not release balloons into the environment. Although a balloon release can seem beautiful, all of those plastic balloons will end up in the ocean.
Read more from our source, here.