After rescuers spent the night trying to free a southern right whale beached in South Africa, the government carried out their final solution: they blew it up. According to South Africa's Department of Tourism, explosives are recommended by the International Whaling Commission.
As reported at Mirror.co.uk:
Onlookers watched as explosives were strapped behind the 10-metre Southern Right whale's head and detonated, killing it instantly. Many of them shouted insults at police as the whale died.
Among the onlookers were a number of children who were understandably horrified by the event. While I'll take it for granted that explosives were the best tool for the job, did they have to make a public spectacle of the affair? Or, if a spectacle it must be, than at least do it right - add some clowns, a bearded woman, and charge admission. Hopefully they at least cordoned off the crowd outside of the whale debris zone. Don't want any injuries sustained due to hot shooting blubber. In the words of Homer Simpson, "Won't anyone think about the children?"
[Article cross-posted at The Errant Fool, here]
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Article comments
1 - RJ
This is sad. But at least its demise was relatively quick...
2 - Matthew T. Sussman
Were the onlookers blubbering?
(Rimshot)
3 - Bowhead
What about the meat and blubber? What happened to it? Destroyed or eaten?
4 - The Errant Fool
Good question. Whale burgers for everyone!