I have a wildlife zoo-Chapter 693 - 692: Working Together to Rescue the Melon-Headed Whale!

Fang Ye hurriedly made arrangements!

He called across to the opposite dining table, "Meng Shi, come with me! We have an emergency situation; melon-headed whales are stranded. We haven't finished eating; pack the meal to eat on the road and maintain our fighting strength. We will need you to perform later."

Meng Shi exclaimed in surprise, "What! Whales are stranded?"

Though surprised, his actions were very swift!

He didn't pack his meal but instead wolfed it down quickly, finishing the food on his plate.

The employees, upon hearing this news, were also surprised and started discussing it!

"Damn, I saw the news about melon-headed whales stranding up north a few months ago; never thought they'd end up here this time!"

"Requesting to join the battle!"

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"Director, take me with you!"

Fang Ye quickly summoned several strong animal keepers!

Handling cetaceans, whether it's returning them to the water or, depending on the situation, transporting them back to the zoo for treatment, the most important thing is having well-trained hands.

Despite having the word 'whale' in their name, melon-headed whales are on the smaller side, with a body length of only around two to three meters and a weight of two to three hundred kilograms. They are not like sperm whales, which are massive creatures weighing tens of tons.

Five to six people could lift one up.

Then they began to prepare the tools.

For aquatic mammals, the primary concern after leaving the water is overheating; the higher the temperature, the more vital is an adequate supply of cool water.

The skin of cetaceans needs to remain cool to the touch, and if it becomes hot, it must be sprayed with cool water. The pectoral fins, dorsal fin, and flukes are important for temperature regulation because these parts lack fat, allowing heat to dissipate from there and also indicating their comfort level.

If these parts feel warm to the touch, the cetacean is overheating.

The recommendation for small dolphins is to bring ice and towels, soak the towels in seawater, and cover the cetaceans with them, of course, avoiding the blowhole on top of the head. The heat-dissipating parts such as the pectoral fins, dorsal fin, and flukes need to be exposed.

Then, place ice on the wet towels to cool them down!

When spraying water to cool them down, make sure not to pour water near the blowhole.

Other tools include nets, stretchers, lifting poles, ropes, sunshades, foam pads...

Foam pads are to cushion the sharp edges around them when transportation is necessary!

A common problem during cetacean transport is them finding the stretcher uncomfortable due to wrinkles, which can make them restless and irritable.

Or they might feel uncomfortably hot and struggle hard.

Placing soft foam pads around can reduce scrapes and bumps.

Beyond that, some methods of controlling whales and dolphins and precautions for moving them were taught.

During bird rescue, their eyes are usually covered to help them calm down by not being confronted with stimuli.

However, cetaceans are most calm when they can open their eyes and observe their surroundings; covering their eyes might instead make them uneasy.

The mayor's secretary also made a quick call!

Getting straight to the point, he said, "Hello, Zoo Director Fang? What else do you need for the dolphin rescue?"

Fang Ye said, "A crane and a truck! If the melon-headed whale is injured and weak, it needs rehabilitation and can be transported to stay in the zoo for a couple of days."

"Okay, I'll help you make the arrangements!"

Fang Ye cleared out the penguin exhibit and began to prepare in advance.

With various tasks arranged, once the employees packed their tools, they boarded the van and set off with a police escort!

Not just their zoo, but the local fisheries department and the fire department also rushed out to the site where the melon-headed whales were stranded.

...

On the mudflat, the video shooter Yu, followed by dozens of enthusiastic villagers, came over.

He had just gone to shake people awake because he definitely couldn't save the melon-headed whales by himself.

Even more villagers were on their way after hearing the news!

Seeing the melon-headed whales lying haphazardly in the mud, flapping their tails weakly and struggling, they let out a sound of amazement!

"Oh no! So many dolphins!"

"I've lived by the sea for most of my life and I've never seen these creatures!"

"Look at its eyes, it looks like it's crying, so pitiful!"

"That one looks like it's not moving at all, is it dead?"

A villager carefully approached a melon-headed whale from behind, its entire head buried in the mud, while its companions were still struggling, its tail motionless.

He gently touched it with his foot, but there was still no movement.

It seemed to be dead!

"What should we do now?"

"I heard experts are already on their way here!"

"Should we just stand by and watch until they arrive?"

"Yu, you just contacted the experts, what did they say?"

All eyes were on Yu!

Yu started a video call with Fang Ye directly.

As soon as Fang Ye connected, he surveyed the situation and said, "First, dig their heads out of the mud! Turn the bodies that are upside down right side up!

Their blowholes are on top of their heads. You can't let the mud clog the blowholes, or they'll suffocate to death."

"Got it!"

"Everyone, let's put some muscle into it!"

The villagers spread out and gathered around the melon-headed whales, clumsily clearing the surrounding mud.

They dug out those whose heads were buried in the mud and turned over the ones that were on their sides!

This step, though seemingly simple, was also quite strenuous.

The soft, squishy mud of the tidal flats would sink one past their knees, making it difficult even to walk.

Sunshine beat down from above, the intense ultraviolet rays scorching the villagers' skin.

The villagers worked energetically, covered in mud and sweating profusely, without a single word of complaint.

The only thought in everyone's mind was to revive them and not let these creatures perish in front of their eyes!

They turned over those that were shallowly buried first, then helped with the other melon-headed whales that were more deeply stuck, positioning their bodies correctly one by one.

For those with blowholes clogged by sand and mud, they rinsed off a bit with water while prodding gently.

A melon-headed whale, half its body sunken in the mud and previously motionless as if barely alive,

started moving its mouth open and close after being turned over and having its blowhole mud washed away, just like a human gasping for air!

Its eyes also appeared crystal clear and moist, emitting a faint cry.

Yu again sought help, "Zoo Director Fang, what do we do next?"

Fang Ye remotely instructed, "Pour water on them to cool them down! Otherwise, they'll all overheat and die. Give them some shade.

When you pour water on the melon-headed whales, be careful to avoid the blowholes on their heads, or cover them with your hands to prevent water from getting in. Focus more on the pectoral fins, dorsal fin, and tail flukes, as these areas dissipate heat quickly!"

"Okay!"

The first wave of eager villagers didn't bring any tools!

They took off their own clothes and covered the heads of the melon-headed whales to shield them from the scorching noon sun.

Others ran to the sea, soaked their clothes in seawater, came back and squeezed the water from the clothes onto the whales.

But clearly, this wasn't very efficient!

Fortunately, other villagers brought buckets and basins from the village.

Scooping up water by the bucketful, they started pouring it over the whales.