Colin the whale euthanased
On Friday 22 August, Colin, a young whale calf, was euthanased by vets on Sydney’s foreshore. Read the full story: Vets decide there’s no hope for whale calf.
Colin had been abandoned by his mother and was growing hungrier and weaker by the day. His situation was so desperate he was attacked by sharks and seen suckling boats.
Without being able to feed him, his only hope was that his mother would come back or that he’d somehow be able to join another pod.
Putting Colin down was the most humane thing to do, experts from the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Taronga Zoo, Sea World, RSPCA and ORCCA agreed.
However Aboriginal “whale whisper” Bunna Lawrie, who spent time with Colin vehemently and publically disagreed. “While it’s got life it’s got hope,” he said.
And this made me think. Why would we put an animal out of their misery but not a human? Why do we choose to play God with those that don’t have free will, but ignore those who do?
What right do we have to euthanase an animal we don’t even know?
I think the answer to this is probably the right we take to release the animal from its distress, suffering and impending death.
But we can’t really know whether or not it’s the right thing to do. Colin’s death was described as “harrowing” by observers, as the calf clearly didn’t want to die.
He was dragged struggling from the water to the land, and took seven doses of anesthetic to die — a botched lethal injection by anyone’s measure. And not exactly a peaceful and dignified passing.
So if rightly or wrongly we’d do this for an animal. Why wouldn’t we do it for the terminally ill?
Obviously the important thing is that the individual remains in control and chooses the right to be euthanased. This decision can’t be made by anyone else. And they should be able to choose the time of their passing, when they are ready (unlike Colin).
I find it interesting that there is still such a debate about this. If we don’t think twice about putting an animal out of its misery, why wouldn’t we offer the same humanity to our own kind?
