SRIKAKULAM: A carcass of a whale shark, which washed ashore near Donkuru village in Ichapuram mandal of Srikakulam district on Monday night, took locals by surprise on Tuesday morning.
A video from the spot where children are seen jumping on the carcass of the rare whale species went viral on social media platforms on Tuesday, following which Palasa-Kasibugga forest range officer (FRO) A Murali Kirshna Naidu reached the spot and inspected the carcass.
Stating that the whale shark is about 6 metre long and 1.2 metre wide, the FRO informed that the animal might have died either due to starvation or injuries caused by mechanised boats in the sea. The exact reasons for the cause of death will be ascertained soon, he added.
Following postmortem, the forest officials conducted the cremation procedure as per the forest protocols.