THE USE OF A SHOTGUN FOR THE EUTHANASIA OF STRANDED CETACEANS

A 12-gauge shotgun, loaded with either a solid 28 g lead slug or bucks hot consisting of nine individual lead pellets with a total mass of 28 g, was used to shoot the heads of one dead common dolphin (Delphinus delphis) and five dead long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melaena) varying in length from 2.5 m to 5 m. The dolphin and the smallest pil ot whale were shot with both projectiles from the dorsal surface of th e head. The projectiles penetrated the head and dorsal surface of the skull, but not the base of the cranium. This site using buckshot was n ot effective in the larger animals. Two whales between 3 and 4 m in le ngth were shot with buckshot through the lateral side of the head caud al to and above the eye, without penetration of the contralateral side of the head. It is concluded that shooting smaller cetaceans with a s hotgun can be effective and safe. Further work is required to develop more suitable projectiles for cetaceans up to the size of mature pilot whales.