Whale of a problem

The whale could have offered students an opportunity to learn more about the biggest mammal on our planet.

The manner in which the carcass of a blue whale that had washed on to the Seaview beach in Karachi has been dealt with by the Cantonment Board Clifton Authorities raises many questions about responsibility and the accusation of knowledge. Organisations involved in wildlife preservation and education about animal life has spoken out angrily about the decision to simply cut the decomposing body of the giant animal, which is estimated to measure between 69 and 73 feet, and bury it in plots across the Clifton area. They argue the skeleton of the rare animal should have been persevered for purposes of education and to make it available to experts in marine life. The city staff has argued that the bones of the whale were in bad shape and they would have been little point in attempting to keep them intact. The stench emanating from the animal also led to the hasty decision to bury it in pieces. This decision experts say, of course, means it is impossible to retrieve the bones and preserve them.

The problem of course does not end just with this whale. The washing up of the body onto a much frequented beach was an event which is extremely unusual. Other whales have been swept onto the Karachi shore before, but it is believed this may have been the first blue whale ever to do so. The point to be made is that we seem to show too little interest in studying matters that stray away from the strictly usual or calling in wildlife specialists to seek their opinion for making a decision on what should be done. This has happened before in other cases too which involve animals found in various parts of the country and which have been treated with less respect than they deserve.

The whale could have offered zoology students and even school children an opportunity to learn more about the biggest mammal on our planet. It is a pity they have been deprived of this because our bureaucrats lack good sense and have little sense of what is the greater public good.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 26^th,  2011.