ANTIQUE – A juvenile whale shark, or butanding, washed ashore in Sitio Banay-banay, Barangay San Pedro, San Jose, Antique, around 6:30 a.m. yesterday, Jan. 22.
Personnel from the San Jose Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Antique Provincial Veterinarian’s Office (ProVet) went to the area to verify.
The juvenile whale shark was identified as male and measured 5.99 meters in length and three meters wide, said San Jose MENRO officer-in-charge Jolly Roy.
According to residents, the whale shark washed close to shore during a high tide, chasing a colony of small shrimps which whale sharks commonly eat.
Roy said they will immediately bury the carcass to prevent it bring being dragged around by stray dogs. (With a report from PIO LAVEGA)/PN
