100 whales die on New Zealand beach

New Zealand authorities said a pod of over 100 pilot whales that were stranded on a remote beach died yesterday, according to a statement by the department of conservation.

107 whales were found beached on New Zealand's south island by tourists who raised the alarm, and more than half were dead by the time they were discovered.

Authorities then had to put down 47 of the whales, who were still alive when found, due to the remote location they were discovered at and a lack of resources to rescue the animals.

Biodiversity programme manager Brent Beaven said that the animals were put down to prevent them from suffering any further.

Pods of pilot whales are occasionally being discovered in New Zealand's remote beaches, and marine scientists have not yet been able to explain the phenomena conclusively.