A humpback whale whom humans are calling
"Timmy" became stranded on a sandbank in Germany over one month ago. For weeks, people helped to keep it hydrated, treat blemishes on its skin, and strategize about how to reunite it with its larger community.
Now, finally, the rescue operation is properly underway! After rescuers directed Timmy to a barge that will return it to deeper waters, it voluntarily agreed to swim on. Now, the barge is already headed towards the North Sea, away from the insufficiently-salty Baltic Sea.
This just shows that humans can be good stewards of the Earth, and good to our fellow animals! We can be part of the solution! Sign the petition to share your appreciation for everyone involved, and to urge ongoing funding to help Timmy the whale as successfully readjust to life in the ocean.Timmy probably comes all the way from the Atlantic Ocean, where its pod is most likely located. Experts are worried that one month spent stranded in shallow waters without enough salt may have hurt Timmy, leaving the whale sick and fatigued. But that doesn't mean we should immediately give up hope - and luckily, people in Germany and around the world seem to agree.
Rescuers, volunteers, the fire brigade, and experts from other countries have all contributed to this heroic effort to save Timmy. This even includes a "whale whisperer" and a veterinarian from Peru and Hawai'i!
Timmy clearly has not given up. The whale swam on its own right onto the barge, and people traveling with Timmy said they'd even heard the giant marine mammal "vocalize." So far, it appears hopeful that this was a happy sign.
As the environmental minister for Germany's Mecklenburg-Vorpommern state, Till Backhaus, said: "Something like this has never happened before in Germany, where a life-saving operation of this kind has been carried out. And this was an experiment, and the experiment was a success, and that's wonderful."
Authorities and experts must continue with the mission until they are assured that the humpback whale has safely reacclimated to life in the deep waters. Sign the petition to urge ongoing help and support for Timmy!