A PORPOISE that was left stranded on Rhos-on-Sea beach at the weekend was “euthanised” in order to avoid it suffering more.

At 6:10am on October 28, British Divers Marine Life Rescue were alerted to reports of a stranded dolphin in Rhos-on-Sea by a member of the public.

On arrival, medics found it to be a male harbour porpoise at just under a metre in length, said medic Gem Simmons.

With little light and a turning tide, medics worked through the morning to stabilise the animal and perform a crucial medical assessment to help them determine the next best course of action.

The assistance of the coastguard was also requested as a medic safety precaution due to low light conditions and the proximity to the water.

Ms Simmons said: “Cetaceans will rarely strand without an underlying cause so it is important that an assessment is performed to ascertain the animal’s condition and decide the most appropriate course of action while considering the animals welfare.

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“It was determined that the animal was in poor health and therefore unlikely to survive a refloat and had likely already been stranded for a number of hours.

“In light of all of this information, it was decided the most appropriate course of action was to humanely euthanise to avoid any further suffering.

“The animal was carefully loaded onto a vehicle and taken to a local veterinarian for this to take place.”

The porpoise was taken to Prospect House veterinary practice, and its body has been collected by Marine Environment Monitoring in order to undergo a post mortem examination.

Ms Simmons added: “We would like to thank Prospect house veterinary practice for their assistance in this rescue, the member of public that reported to us and provided information over the phone until medics arrived and the local coastguard for their safety cover.

“If you find a sick, injured or stranded marine animal call BDMLR on 01825 765 546.”