A pilot whale that died on Friday in Thailand had consumed at least 80 plastic bags, marine officials said. The whale was discovered barely alive in a canal in the southern province of Songkhla on Monday, after which veterinarians treated it.

The animal vomited five plastic bags on Friday before dying. The autopsy found at least eight kg of plastic in the whale’s stomach. “This plastic rubbish made the whale sick and unable to hunt for food,” the Marine and Coastal Resources Department said.

Thailand is one of the world’s biggest users of plastic bags, according to The Guardian. “It’s a huge problem,” Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine biologist and lecturer at Kasetsart University, said. “We use a lot of plastic.” Veterinary surgeon Dr Watchara Sakornwimon told Sky News this was the worst case of this kind she has ever seen.