A deceased pregnant great hammerhead shark was found in Orange Beach, Alabama on Thursday. Researchers performed a necropsy and found that the mother was carrying 40 shark pups.
Though it was a sad sight, city officials were enthused about the opportunity to examine a"While it was very sad that it passed, we were excited about the rare opportunity of seeing a Great hammerhead in such good condition," the City of Orange Beach Coastal Resources' Facebook post read."We immediately started contacting various agencies to see who had availability to come gather data from this unique specimen.
Beachgoers spotted the shark near the shore in Orange Beach, Alabama. Researchers found that she was pregnant. Photos show that workers needed to hoist the shark onto a truck to transport her. Employees contacted a Mississippi State University professor about performing an autopsy on the deceased animal.Photos show that workers needed to hoist the shark onto a truck to transport the deceased shark."While it is sad, it is very rare to find a large pregnant female, and the data collected will be tremendously helpful in learning about Great hammerhead fecundity," the Facebook post added.
The city contacted a Mississippi State University professor to perform a necropsy on the deceased animal. "We are very thankful that our staff was able to get the shark off of the beach, protected from the elements, and iced down within a few short hours of the initial call," the post added."This was definitely an experience that we won't forget, and we are grateful to have played a small role in this unique case."
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