Animal killed with what appeared to be exploding harpoon, after one ‘half-hearted’ attempt to free it

Animal welfare campaigners have condemned the killing of a trapped minke whale off the coast of Taiji, a town in Japan best known for its annual dolphin cull.

The young whale, which had been trapped inside nets since 24 December, was killed with what appeared to be an exploding harpoon early on Monday morning before being taken ashore wrapped in blue tarpaulin, according to the Humane Society International (HSI).