RESCUE AND REHABILITATION OF A FALSE KILLER WHALE FOUND STRANDED AT LAS TONINAS, BUENOS AIRES. REPORT OF THE FIRST CASE IN ARGENTINA

MATTIELLO, R; ÁLVAREZ, K.; DI GIROLAMO, FABIO AUGUSTO; RODRIGUEZ, S

Punta del Este

Congreso; LAVECCS 2017; 2017

LAVECCS

On August 6th 2015 the Mundo Marino Foundation, in conjunction with the Mundo Marino Oceanarium, rescued and rehabilitated a cetacean, commonly known as "false killer whale" (Pseudorca crassidens), an adult female of 3.60 meters long, 1,70 meters wide and 350 kg in weight, belonging to the family of dolphins, stranded in the beaches of Las Toninas, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The false killer whale had bacterial pneumonia caused by mobile Pseudomonas and Pasteurella spp, and parasitic pneumonia caused by larvae of Stenurus (nematode which can also migrate to the middle ear affecting the sense of hearing). After performing emergency and maintenance therapy, it underwent aggressive treatment with antibiotics, antiparasitics and immune therapeutics, having an early medical discharge on August 26th 2015. The release operation was concrete on August 29th 2015, for which it was necessary to design a special boat for its offshore. The present rescue-rehabilitation and release procedure was arduous and risky, as it required working with precision and speed, overcoming the countdown pressure given by cetacean release protocols and the public