BANGKOK: A whale has died in southern Thailand after swallowing more than 80 plastic bags, officials said, ending an attempted rescue that failed to nurse the mammal back to health.
Thailand is one of the world’s largest consumers of plastic bags, which kill hundreds of marine creatures living near the country’s popular beaches each year.
The small male pilot whale became the latest victim after it was found barely alive in a canal near the border with Malaysia, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources said on their Facebook page Saturday.
A veterinary team tried “to help stabilize its illness but finally the whale died” on Friday afternoon, the post said.
An autopsy revealed 80 plastic bags weighing up to eight kilograms (18 pounds) in the creature’s stomach, the department added.
Photos accompanying the post showed a group of people using buoys to keep the whale afloat after it was first spotted on Monday and an umbrella to shield it from the scorching sun.
The whale vomited up five bags during the rescue attempt before it died, the department said.
Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and lecturer at Kasetsart University, said the bags had made it impossible for the whale to eat any nutritional food.
“If you have 80 plastic bags in your stomach, you die,” he said.
At least 300 marine animals including pilot whales, sea turtles and dolphins perish each year in Thai waters after ingesting plastic, Thon told AFP.
“It’s a huge problem,” he said. “We use a lot of plastic.”
The pilot whale’s plight generated sympathy and anger among Thai netizens.
“I feel sorry for the animal that didn’t do anything wrong but has to bear the brunt of human actions,” one Twitter user wrote in Thai.
Whale dies in Thailand after swallowing 80 plastic bags
Whale dies in Thailand after swallowing 80 plastic bags
- Thailand is one of the world’s largest consumers of plastic bags, which kill hundreds of marine creatures living near the country’s popular beaches each year.
- An autopsy revealed 80 plastic bags weighing up to eight kilograms (18 pounds) in the whale’s stomach,
Harry Styles announces 2026 global tour: See the dates
- e news arrives a week after Styles revealed his fourth studio album will arrive March 6. Titled “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally”
NEW YORK: Harry Styles is getting back out on the road. The English musician announced his “Together, Together” tour on Thursday. It’s a 50-date run made up of residencies in Europe, the UK, Brazil, Mexico, the US and Australia.
Styles’ tour launches May 16 with six nights in Amsterdam, followed by six nights in London, two in São Paulo, two in Mexico City, 30 at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, two in Melbourne and two in Sydney, where it will conclude in December.
Openers include Robyn, Shania Twain, Jorja Smith, Jamie xx, Fousheé, and more.
There are a few pre-sale opportunities. The general sale for São Paulo begins Wednesday and the Mexico City sale begins Jan. 29.
The general sale for Amsterdam, London, Melbourne, Sydney, and many New York dates begins Jan. 30. The last New York dates, Oct. 10 to 31, will go on sale Feb. 4.
Styles is no stranger to residencies. During his “Love on Tour” in 2022, he did a 15-night stint at Madison Square Garden, which Ticketmaster labeled “the highest-grossing single engagement in the venue’s history.”
The “Together, Together” tour news arrives a week after Styles revealed his long-awaited, fourth studio album will arrive March 6.
Titled “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” the album is Styles’ first full-length project in four years. It follows the 2022, critically acclaimed synth pop record “Harry’s House,” which earned the former One Direction star the top prize of album of the year at the 2023 Grammy Awards.
The cover for “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally” features the 31-year-old artist in a T-shirt and jeans at night, standing underneath a shimmering disco ball hung outside.
