Malaysia: Dolphin rescued on Boxing Day dies from injuries

The Star 4 Jan 13;

KOTA KINABALU: The injured dolphin that was rescued on Boxing Day has died, despite the best care from animal lovers here.

Sabah Wildlife Department senior veterinarian Dr Sen Nathan said the animal was found to have severe lung injuries.

An immediate post-mortem on the dolphin on Monday showed that the lung injuries it suffered were caused by massive infection and a very high parasitic load, he added.

The spinner dolphin or Stenella longirostris died while being treated at Universiti Malaysia Sabah's Borneo Marine Research Institute (BRMI).

BRMI director Prof Dr Saleem Mustafa said the 70kg dolphin was estimated to be about seven years old.

Wildlife experts did their best to save the creature that was found stranded in waters off the northern Kudat district.

Dr Saleem had been cautious about the dolphin's prognosis following its rescue by the Wildlife Department's Wildlife Rescue Unit (WRU) on Dec 26.

He had said that there was a possibility the dolphin had consumed contaminated organisms.

Wildlife experts could not tell whether the dolphin belonged to the resident population in Sabah or that it had migrated from other areas.

Stranded dolphin dies
Olivia Miwl New Straits Times 4 Jan 13;

INTERNAL INJURIES: Mammal could not be saved despite efforts

KOTA KINABALU: THE dolphin which was found stranded on Pulau Gandang in Tuaran near here on Dec 26 has died on New Year's Eve at the Borneo Marine Research Institute of Universiti Malaysia Sabah.

The institute's director, Prof Dr Saleem Mustafa, said despite efforts to keep it alive, the mammal could not be saved.

Earlier, the seven-year-old spinner dolphin of the Stenella longirostris species was reported to have been stabilised and was able to eat and spray water from its blowhole.

"There were signs of bacterial infection on its fin and inflammation on the lateral side of itsbody.

"The Sabah Wildlife Department veterinarians had administered antibiotics to the dolphin, while scientists from our institute had isolated the bacteria and conducted a detailed study on the bacteria's nature."

Saleem said despite the dolphin's improvement, the institute was sceptical that the mammal was going to survive.

"We are now waiting for a post-mortem report from Sabah Wildlife Department personnel who treated the dolphin."

The department's senior veterinarian, Dr Sen Nathan, said the possible cause of death was internal injuries.