June 19, (THEWILL)- The people of the Okpoama community in Brass Local Government Area have commenced the butchering of a stranded giant whale, at the seaside of the Atlantic Ocean close to the community.
According to community sources, the aquatic stranded whale, said to be about 15 meters long, 5 meters wide and 3 meters high, may have grounded on Tuesday night, due to a low sea wave at the river bank.
When the residents of the community met the stranded whale on Wednesday morning, they trooped out with machetes, hawk shaws and axes to disembark the sea animal, fit for consumption.
Our Correspondent reports that the butchering is still ongoing at the time of filling the report at Okpoama waterside and might take days to butcher it.
A former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Bayelsa State, an indigene of the area, Mr Tarinyo Akono, said the whale may have died after it got stranded due to low wave.
He stated that the animal was grounded since in the night when people had gone to sleep, adding that if it were found alive, maybe it could have been rescued and sent back to the sea.
Also speaking, the Youth President of the Okpoama community, Engr Seiyefa Felix Ben-Basuo, who confirmed the incident, said people were at the waterside butchering the animal.
It was observed that the high tide from the river due to the rainy season might have brought the animal to the river bank before it was stranded.
In August 2019, a similar giant whale got stranded at the same waterside and was also butchered by the residents for meat.
Amos Okioma is a Correspondent at THEWILL
