Authorities removed a 12 meter long (40 foot) humpback whale from a beach in Rio de Janeiro on Monday (August 11).<br/> <br />The massive mammal was already decomposing when it washed ashore on Macumba beach in the Recreio neighbourhood of western Rio earlier in the day.<br/> <br />The beach was cleared of swimmers as a team of lifeguards armed with ropes pulled the beast from the crashing waves.<br/> <br />In the end it took two tractors and a crane to remove the 20 to 30 tonne beast from the beach.<br/> <br />It was unclear how the animal, which was estimated to be between 10- and 12-years old, died.<br/> <br />Humpbacks head north from Antarctica this time of year and swim along the South American coast past Argentina and Uruguay towards Brazil.
