Overview
- The bloated carcass was hauled onto the main beach of the Danish island of Anholt on Saturday after more than two weeks drifting offshore, and crews used a vehicle and steel cable to pull it ashore.
- Danish Nature Agency officials have scheduled an on‑site forensic autopsy for Thursday afternoon that they say will last about six hours and aim to identify cause of death.
- Authorities have cordoned the area and warned residents and visitors to keep away because the decomposing carcass poses infection and strong‑smell risks.
- A member of the private rescue team says the tracker attached at release recorded position and dive data through 8 May, but those claims remain unverified and officials say they will publish the tracker data after they receive and check it.
- The rescue by a private initiative that moved the whale from the German Baltic coast into the North Sea is under heavy criticism from scientists, and experts will specifically look for net and plastic remnants because fishing nets have been linked to four of the last six Danish humpback deaths, a finding that could prompt tighter scrutiny of fishing gear and rescue rules.