It was the first time in China that a short-finned pilot whale (短鳍领航鲸), a nationally second-class protected wild animal, was rescued and released into its natural habitat, thanks to the efforts of more than 200 people who joined hands to save the stranded(搁浅) creature.
It all began on Jan & rd, when the injured whale was seen stranded on the shores of Haitang Bay in Sanya, Hainan Province. Police, animal experts, and volunteers rushed to the scene, and managed to send the whale to the Sanya Haichang Animal Center. They named it Haitang, after the Haitang Bay where it was found.
At first, due to serious lung (肺部) injuries, Haitang faced the risk of turning over and drowning(溺水). To solve this, over 100 volunteers took turns to hold the whale all day long so that it would not turn over.
As it slowly recovered, the volunteers moved it to an outdoor pool for a larger space. Months later, its length grew 10 centimeters, as it was fed 14 kilograms of seafood every day.
In early May. experts believed that Haitang was ready to return to Mother Nature. After spending some time with human being, it was released into the ocean where it belongs on May25th. Although it was hard to say goodbye, rescuers believed that Haitang had found its group and lived in the area healthily.
