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On August 9, 2022, a Beluga whale made its way to the French Seine River and got trapped and now has been reported dead. For several hours of using a crane, rescuers struggled to save the whale. After which rescuers were going to load the whale into a refrigerated truck and transport it back to its natural habitat.
There had been many attempts to feed the whale, however, it refused to eat anything. They were going to start off by putting it in a saltwater pool and monitoring the whale to treat it accurately.
During the mission to get the whale out of the water, it started having trouble breathing; it was at that point experts felt the best choice was to euthanize the whale.
Experts stated that the animal was too weak to survive and that is why they decided to put the whale down. Veterinarian Florance Ollivet-Courtois has said that the animal underwent distress once it was moved into the truck and during the drive to the Normandy cost.
Once they arrived, they had veterinarians waiting to inspect the whale that had continued to captivate the bystanders after the fact of getting stuck in France’s Northwest for days. Swarms of onlookers started to form around the riverbank to watch the veterinarians operate on the mammal.
“During the trip, Veterinarians noticed a deterioration in his condition, particularly in raspatory functions,” Ollivet-Courtois said. The veterinarian also said that the whale had spent days in an unsupportive habitat citing the river temperatures, pollution, and boats.
“The operation was launched because it was the last chance. If we had left him, he was doomed to certain death.” She told a news conference. “So, we tried to save him. Unfortunately, we did not succeed.”
The local prefecture had reported the Beluga whale dead early Wednesday. It is still unknown how the whale ended up so far away from the Pacific Ocean.
Written by Key Robertson
Edited by Sheena Robertson
Source:
The Washington Post: Beluga whale stuck in France’s Seine euthanized during rescue mission
NPR: Stranded whale euthanized after removal from French river
Fox News: Beluga whale euthanized rescue from Siene River in France
Top and Featured Image Courtesy of Eric Kilby‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Kim Bartlett – Animal People, Inc. Courtesy of Animal People Forum‘s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License