health
Millionaires fund last-ditch attempt to save humpback whale stranded in Germany
Critics say efforts to rescue the animal, nicknamed Timmy, unlikely to succeed and could lead to further harm
TL;DR
- A last-ditch rescue operation for a stranded humpback whale, nicknamed Timmy, is underway in the Baltic Sea.
- The mission is funded by two millionaires, Walter Gunz and Karin Walter-Mommert, after official rescue efforts were suspended.
- The plan involves using air cushions to lift the whale onto a tarpaulin and then towing it to the North Sea or Atlantic Ocean.
- Environmental group Greenpeace criticizes the operation, citing reports of the whale's low survival chances and the high risk of injury.
- Some critics suggest political motives behind the renewed official support for the rescue, linking it to an upcoming election.
- Germany's president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, has met with veterinary experts to discuss the whale's plight.