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Monday, November 26, 2018, 11:27
145 pilot whales die in stranding on New Zealand beach
By Associated Press
Monday, November 26, 2018, 11:27 By Associated Press

In this photo taken on Nov 25, 2018, pilot whales lie beached at Mason Bay, Rakiura on Stewart Island, New Zealand. (PHOTO / AP)

WELLINGTON — All of the 145 pilot whales that stranded themselves on a remote New Zealand beach have died.

However, conservation workers are hoping to save some of the eight pygmy killer whales that remain stranded at the other end of the country in an unrelated event.

Dead Pilot whales line the shore during a mass stranding at Farewell Spit, New Zealand on Feb 11, 2017. (MARTY MELVILLE / AFP)

A hiker discovered the pilot whales in two pods about 2 kilometers apart late Saturday on Stewart Island. About 75 were already dead and conservation workers decided to euthanize the others due to their poor condition and remote location.

A volunteer pours water on a stranded pilot whale during a mass stranding at Farewell Spit, New Zealand on Feb 11, 2017. (MARTY MELVILLE / AFP)

ALSO READ: Indonesian volunteers save six beached whales

Whale strandings are relatively common in New Zealand during the Southern Hemisphere spring and summer. It's believed strandings can be caused by a number of factors, such as the whales trying to escape predators, falling ill, or navigating incorrectly.

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