- In a dramatic rescue operation, French forces pulled a beluga whale lost in the Seine from the water.
- A number of veterinarians immediately took care of the weak and emaciated animal.
- The animal was first spotted in the river a week ago.
The marine mammal, which is four meters long and weighs about 800 kilograms, was hoisted into a net using a crane from the lock in the northern French municipality of Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne on Wednesday night, AFP journalists reported. on site.
BFMTV radio reported that the whale is now in a refrigerated truck, where it is kept wet with towels. It will now be moved to the seawater basin in Ouistreham, Normandy. About 80 people took part in the operation, which began at 10 pm, including about 20 divers.
stuck in lock
A beluga whale was first spotted in the Seine on Tuesday last week. Since Friday, he has been stuck at a padlock in Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne, about 70 kilometers from Paris – 130 kilometers from the mouth of the Seine on the English Channel. According to experts, the animal cannot live long in warm fresh water. Beluga whales usually live in the Arctic waters off the coasts of Russia, Alaska and Canada.
So animal rights activists developed the idea of pulling marine mammals from the river and moving them to a seawater tank to feed and then releasing them into the sea. The interest and willingness to donate in France is huge. Among other things, the marine protection organization Sea Shepherd raised donations for the rescue operation.
weak animal
In the past few days, numerous attempts to feed the lean and weak animal have been unsuccessful. According to experts, his lack of appetite can be a sign of illness.
Caption:
Last Tuesday, the animal was first seen in the Seine, 70 kilometers from Paris.
Photograph: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
According to experts, this is only the second time that the Beluga has strayed to France. A single fisherman first saw his net in 1948 in the estuary of the Loire River.
In May, the orca was lost in the Seine. After weeks of trekking in the river, the animal finally died of starvation. In July, it is believed that a fin whale was seen in the estuary near Le Havre.
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