Approximately 20 Melon-Headed Whales Driven Into Taiji’s Cove; Adults Slaughtered, Two Calves Separated
Photo Credit: @Like.animals.vegan
In another heartbreaking incident during Japan’s annual dolphin hunting season, approximately 20 melon-headed whales were driven into the infamous Cove in Taiji, Japan, where the adults were slaughtered and two young calves were forcibly separated from their family.
According to Dolphin Project, which monitors and documents the annual dolphin hunts in Taiji, hunters intercepted a large pod of melon-headed whales on October 15, separating approximately 20 whales from the larger pod before driving them into the Cove.
The adult whales were reportedly tied by their tails beneath tarps while two young calves were separated from their family, placed into slings alongside a small boat, and taken back out to sea without any adults to accompany them.
In a heartbreaking statement, Dolphin Project reported:
“The hope is that they are able to reunite with the rest of their pod but it’s impossible to know what actually happened. The adults were all slaughtered. Their lifeless bodies were then dragged to the butcher house.”
The fate of the two calves remains unknown, raising serious concerns about their ability to survive without the protection, guidance, and support of adult members of their pod.
Despite their name, melon-headed whales are actually members of the dolphin family. These intelligent, highly social marine mammals travel in large groups and form strong social bonds, making the separation of young calves from their pod especially concerning.
Taiji’s annual dolphin hunting season, which typically runs from September through March, has faced widespread international criticism over the capture and slaughter of dolphins and other small cetaceans. During these hunts, groups of dolphins and whales are driven toward shore, where some are killed for their meat while others may be selected for captivity.
The reported slaughter of these melon-headed whales is another devastating reminder of the suffering inflicted on these intelligent, sensitive animals and the heartbreaking consequences these hunts can have on their closely bonded families.
World Animal News and Peace 4 Animals strongly condemn the continued capture and slaughter of dolphins and whales in Taiji and call for an immediate end to these cruel hunts. These intelligent, social marine mammals deserve to live freely in the ocean, together with their families, without the threat of being hunted and killed.
To learn more about Dolphin Project and its ongoing efforts to expose and end dolphin hunts in Taiji, Japan, please visit DolphinProject.com.
