UPDATE: The beluga whale has died after experts decided to put the animal down to prevent further suffering.
A beluga whale stranded in France’s River Seine was removed from the water in the early hours of the morning on 10 August, the first stage of the operation to rescue the animal.
The beluga swam halfway to Paris before becoming stuck in one of the river’s lock systems. It remains unclear as to why it ventured so far away from its natural habitat in the Arctic.
The rescue effort is not without complications and getting the whale out of the river is just the first step. The whale is now on its way to Ouistreham, a small fishing town on France’s Normandy coast.
‘Today’s important operation will be to transfer the beluga, which is more than 150 km from the sea, to a saltwater basin better adapted to its physiology to benefit from medical supervision and care,’ Sea Shepherd France commented.
‘The beluga has just been brought into a refrigerated truck to be taken to the saltwater basin in Ouistreham,’ Sea Shepherd last updated. ‘Initial medical evidence indicates that this is a male who does not have the infectious disease but has no digestive activity, which is why he is no longer feeding. Vets will try to stimulate digestion.’
There were concerns surrounding the health of the beluga, which appeared to be malnourished but ignored the offerings of food vets tried to administer.
Pictures: Sea Shepard France
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