***WARNING: THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS IMAGES SOME READERS MAY FIND DISTRESSING***
Heartbreaking photos taken at a mass whale slaughter show dead unborn calves inside their mothers' bodies.
The pictures were taken in the Faroe Islands on Wednesday (28 August) when 94 long-finned pilot whales were killed, according to Sea Shepherd UK, who took the photos. Of the 94 that were killed, four were calves, while a further five were pregnant
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Pictures taken by the non-profit sea conservation charity show a dead calf lying in its mother's intestines, while another shows a whale foetus.
The hunt reportedly lasted five hours, with the killing itself taking all of 12 minutes.
The killings are a centuries-old tradition on the Faroe Islands, known locally as a 'grind' or 'grindadrap'. It apparently helps feed the population of the remote Atlantic community over winter.
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But while the Faroese claim the practice is both sustainable and regulated by law, campaign groups say it is inhumane and are calling for such hunts for banned.
This is the 11th hunt this year. Sea Shepherd UK closely monitor the killings and said that as of 19 August, 536 pilot whales have been slaughtered in total.
Speaking after the 10th hunt, a spokesman for the campaign group said: "Over the course of the lengthy drive more and more members of the public and tourists could be seen stopping along the coastline to watch the family of pilot whales struggle and resist.
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"As is often the case, the grind was swiftly becoming a social event, with parents laughing and chatting as children played on the killing beach.
"The level of excitement was clearly growing as anticipation of the brutality came closer. Epitomising the social aspect of the grind was the sight of a youth group - possibly a guides or scout group - sat eagerly watching and waiting."
However, locals and tourist officials have long defended the right of their community to continue the tradition.
A section of the Visit Faroe Islands website reads: "The Faroese have eaten pilot whale meat and blubber since they first settled the islands over a century ago.
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"Today, as in times past, the whale drive is a community activity open to all, while also well-organised on a community level and regulated by national laws.
"Records of all pilot whale hunts have been kept since 1584 and the practice is deemed sustainable, as there an estimated 778,000 whale in the eastern North Atlantic region.
"Approximately 100,000 swim close to the Faroe Islands, and the Faroese hunt an average 800 pilot whales annually.
"The meat and blubber from the hunt is distributed equally among those who have participated."
Featured Image Credit: Jam PressTopics: World News, Animals