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Australia Begins Euthanizing False Killer Whales after Mass Stranding

A undated handout photo made available by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) on 19 February 2025 shows a person assisting a group of whales after they were stranded near Arthur River on Tasmania's west coast, Australia. EPA/DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
A undated handout photo made available by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) on 19 February 2025 shows a person assisting a group of whales after they were stranded near Arthur River on Tasmania's west coast, Australia. EPA/DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
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Australia Begins Euthanizing False Killer Whales after Mass Stranding

A undated handout photo made available by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) on 19 February 2025 shows a person assisting a group of whales after they were stranded near Arthur River on Tasmania's west coast, Australia. EPA/DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT
A undated handout photo made available by the Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas) on 19 February 2025 shows a person assisting a group of whales after they were stranded near Arthur River on Tasmania's west coast, Australia. EPA/DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENVIRONMENT

Dozens of false killer whales stranded on a remote beach in the Australian state of Tasmania will be euthanized after bad weather and the isolated location hampered efforts to push them back into the waters, Australian authorities said on Thursday.
More than 150 endangered dolphins, known commonly as false killer whales due to their resemblance to killer whales, were found stranded this week in the island state's northwest coast near Arthur River, about 400 km (250 miles) from Tasmania's state capital, Hobart.
"The conditions that the team faced yesterday in attempts to refloat the whales proved very challenging and in fact, dangerous to our staff," Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service Brendon Clark said in a media briefing.
A total of 27 animals were euthanised on Thursday morning while 38 were still alive, Reuters quoted Clark as saying.
The euthanasia process is expected to finish later on Thursday.
Officials have said the stranding response would be complex due to the inaccessibility of the site, ocean conditions and the challenges of getting specialist equipment to the remote area.
The animals can grow up to 20 feet (6.1 m) long and weigh up to 3,000 lbs (1,361 kg). They are found in all tropical and subtropical oceans, generally in deep offshore waters, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

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Hundreds Evacuated as Greece Wildfire Rages on Crete

Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis
Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis
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Hundreds Evacuated as Greece Wildfire Rages on Crete

Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis
Firefighters stand next to rising flames as a wildfire burns near Ierapetra, on the island of Crete, Greece, July 3, 2025. REUTERS/Stefanos Rapanis

A wildfire fanned by gale-force winds on the southern Greek island of Crete has forced the evacuation of locals and tourists, officials said on Thursday.

Greece is sweltering in a heatwave that is searing much of southern Europe, said AFP.

The country has become particularly vulnerable in recent years to summer wildfires, which are fueled by strong winds, drought and high temperatures linked to climate change.

Local media said around 1,500 people had to be evacuated because of the blaze, which broke out on Wednesday evening.

"Evacuations took place in numerous hotels and tourists were safely transferred to a closed gymnasium in the municipality of Ierapetra," vice-prefect Yannis Androulakis told TV channel Mega, referring to the holiday town in the southeast.

He said the authorities acted because water bomber planes could not reach the affected areas overnight.

"At the moment, there are three active fronts," Androulakis said. "Because of the strong winds, the fire has progressed quite rapidly."

Around 270 firefighters, 10 helicopters and drones have been deployed to tackle the blaze, said Vassilios Vathrakoyannis, a spokesman for the fire service.

They include reinforcements sent in from the capital, Athens.

"There are still a number of different fronts. The fire is burning scrubland and crops," he said.

"The winds are very strong -- up to nine on the Beaufort scale."

- Uneven, arid terrain -

Crete, Greece's largest island, has an arid, uneven landscape criss-crossed by gullies, making it difficult for firefighters to tackle the blaze.

The fire has damaged both houses and crops in fruit and vegetable greenhouses, local media said.

Like the rest of Crete, Ierapetra –- a seaside resort with a population of 23,000 -- takes in thousands of tourists in the summer.

Vathrakoyannis said the authorities would assess the extent of the damage once the fire had been brought under control.

He stressed the risk of fires was "considerable" in July, the hottest month of the year in Greece.

Until now, Greece had been more or less spared the heatwave that has gripped other parts of southern Europe.

The country recorded its hottest ever summer last year when 45,000 hectares were torched, according to WWF Greece and the Athens National Observatory.

In terms of surface area destroyed, 2023 was the worst on record.

Nearly 175,000 hectares were obliterated and 20 people died during a series of prolonged heatwaves when temperatures rose in places to 46 degrees Celsius (115 degrees Fahrenheit).