Baby dolphin euthanised after efforts to find mother in Mandurah failed

Date: April 9 2017

A baby dolphin found stranded in the Mandurah Estuary on Saturday afternoon has been euthanised by veterinarians.

The calf was rescued by volunteers and taken to deeper water, in the hopes the baby dolphin's calls would attract its mother.

But a Department of Parks and Wildlife spokesperson said efforts to find the dolphin's mother and pod failed.

"This morning the dolphin was showing signs of distress, and our officer and veterinarian attended," she said. 

"The only option was to euthanise it, as if it was to go back in the wild it would have likely died of starvation as it was too young to fend for itself."

HOPES DASHED: A baby dolphin found in the Mandurah Estuary is set to be put down after searchers were unable to reunite it with its mother. pic.twitter.com/P9dyDLGzDH

The dolphin has been taken to Murdoch University where it will be used for research.