Three of five stranded sperm whales in Denmark have had their jaws removed

On Friday, four stranded sperm whales were found on the Danish coast in the North Sea, and another was found on Saturday.

Three of them have been confirmed dead and have had their jaws removed, which will be examined at the University of Copenhagen.

The other two have not been declared dead, but are believed likely to die soon. According to the environmental authority, it is not possible to euthanize a stranded sperm whale in an ethical and safe way, so they will be allowed to die naturally.

When another stranded whale was found earlier in February in Jutland, parts of the jaws were stolen, as the teeth are considered valuable, Danish media reports.