Fears carcass of Timmy the whale could explode after failed £1,200,000 rescue

The bloated body of Timmy, the humpback whale lying off the Danish island of Anholt (Marcus Golejewski/DPA/Cover Media)

Experts have warned that the carcass of a young humpback whale which washed up on a beach after a failed rescue effort could explode. 

The animal, affectionately known as Timmy, gained public attention after becoming stranded in shallow waters off Germany’s Baltic Sea coast on March 23.

Timmy was initially found trapped on a sandbank in Lübeck Bay unable to free himself. He eventually managed to escape but then became stranded several more times.

After a string of abandoned attempts in late April, two German entrepreneurs funded a major operation to save him, which cost an estimated £1.2million.