The Mangrove Cell had planned the excavation so that they could display the entire skeletal frame in the marine museum at the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre (CMCB), Airoli for visitors.
Officials of the State Mangrove Cell were shocked on Thursday after they found the carcass of the 37-foot-long Bryde's Whale, that had washed to the Juhu beach in January 2016, missing. The staff had come to excavate the mammal's skeleton when they learnt that some of the 'bones' had been discarded by the BMC beach-cleaning workers and the remaining was washed to the sea.
The Mangrove Cell had planned the excavation so that they could display the entire skeletal frame in the marine museum at the Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Centre (CMCB), Airoli for visitors.
On Thursday morning, around 25 staff from Mangrove Cell began digging the sand with near the location where the whale was buried. However, after digging four trenches, 15 feet deep, the officials could not find anything and had to fill the trenches by 2 pm due to high tide.
"When we enquired about it, we got to know that BMC staff who cleans the beaches might have discarded it. Since many remains of dead are washed ashore due to shifting of sands during monsoons they discard the bones as a part of their job. Also, many parts are washed back into the sea," said an official from Mangrove Cell stating that they were disappointed to miss an opportunity to create an excellent medium of education and awareness about the species.
The official added that they have now asked the workers to inform the Mangrove Cell in case they find any such skeleton parts. "If buried in sandy beaches, chances are there that the skeleton might resurface and strong currents might pull the carcass back into the sea," said another official.
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