For splendid pictures go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4096586/
Jan. 29, 2004
TAIPEI - Residents of Tainan learned a lesson in whale biology after the
decomposing remains of a 60-ton sperm whale exploded on a busy street,
showering nearby cars and shops with blood and organs and stopping
traffic for hours.
The 56-foot-long whale had been on a truck headed for a necropsy by
researchers, when gases from internal decay caused its entrails to
explode in the southern city of Tainan.
Residents and shop owners wore masks while trying to clean up the spilt
blood and entrails.
"What a stinking mess. This blood and other stuff that blew out on the
road is disgusting, and the smell is really awful," a BBC News report
quoted one Tainan resident as saying.
The sperm whale was being carried by truck through Tainan.
The whale had died on Jan. 17 after it beached itself on the
southwestern coast of the island.
Researchers at the National Cheng Kung University in Tainan said enough
of the whale remained to allow for an examination by marine biologists.
Once moved to a nearby nature preserve, the male specimen -- the largest
whale ever recorded in Taiwan -- drew the attention of locals because of
its large penis, measured at some five feet, the Taipei Times reported.
"More than 100 Tainan city residents, mostly men, have reportedly gone
to see the corpse to 'experience' the size of its penis," the newspaper
reported.
-- Liz Brown Marine Advisory Program PO Box 1549 Dillingham, AK 99576 907-842-1265 Fax 907-842-3202
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