BHUBANESWAR: The skeleton of a 42-ft male Bryde’s Whale which was buried at West Bengal’s Digha beach for the last five years was preserved noted taxidermist Siba Prasad Parida.
On invitation of the Zoological Survey of India, Parida carried out the preservation work. The male Balenoptera edeni, popularly called Bryde’s Whale, was stranded on Digha coast since December 2012.
The specimen was later buried by the Forest Department of the neighbouring State.
The skeleton was excavated by the research team of Marine Aquarium and Regional Center, ZSI under leadership of officer-in-charge Dr Anil Mohapatra last year.
The ZSI then requested Parida, who works with Regional Museum of Narural History, Bhubaneswar, to arrange the skeleton into shape. This is Parida’s fifth whale skeleton preservation, a record in the country.
The whale skeleton was inaugurated by Additional Secretary of Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change Dr Amita Prasad on Friday in presence of Dr Kailash Chandra, Director, Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata. Parida was also felicitated for his work by Dr Prasad.
The male Balenoptera edeni, popularly called Bryde’s Whale, was stranded on Digha coast since December 2012
The skeleton of a 42 feet male Bryde’s Whale was buried at West Bengal’s Digha beach for the last five years