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Autopsy Planned For Whale That Died At Mote Lab

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By YVETTE C. HAMMETT | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2008

SARASOTA - Pete, the pygmy killer whale brought to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium for rehabilitation this year, died Sunday.

A necropsy, or animal autopsy, will be performed at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory in St. Pete today to help determine what killed the whale.

"While we had hoped that Pete was growing stronger and healthier and would soon be ready for release, that just wasn't the case," said Charles Manire, Mote's Dolphin and Whale Hospital veterinarian. "With Pete, we have been dealing with a very resistant infection. We thought we had eliminated it, but when we discontinued his antibiotics to prepare for his release, the infection came back with a vengeance."

Pete was brought to Mote in June after his stranding near Boca Grande. A second pygmy killer whale that stranded at the same time, Dallas, died at Mote in September.

Mote officials said it is important to note that wild animals can mask illnesses well, a skill necessary for survival in the wild. Even with improved diagnostic capabilities such as MRIs and CT scans, diagnoses of illnesses in these animals is extremely difficult.

"There is so little known about the disease processes and biology of many animals cared for at our hospital," Manire said. "Even with constant improvements with medical equipment and treatments, illnesses are still very difficult to diagnose."

During today's necropsy, tissue samples will be taken to see if the cause of infection can be determined, said Mote spokeswoman Jamie Tacy. Results may take some time to analyze.

It's likely that this infection played a role in Pete's death," Manire said. "We've seen similar serious infections in some of the other offshore animals that we have treated."

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