Hopes of rescuing an emaciated beluga whale spotted in the Seine since Tuesday have dwindled, but rescuers have said they rule out “euthanasia” for the time being.
The beluga was first sighted on Tuesday, and on Friday afternoon she found herself between two drainage gates between Paris and the port of Le Havre in Normandy, where the Seine flows. But leaving it in warm stagnant water is no longer an option.
“He needs to be transferred within 24-48 hours, these conditions are not suitable for him,” Lamia El Samali, head of the Sea Shepherd Association, told AFP. She added that there was “little hope” for the rescue of the whale, which appeared to be underweight. “We doubt that he will be able to return to the sea. Even if we took him on a boat, it would be very dangerous, if not impossible,” she said.
However, he “has ruled out the option of euthanasia for now because it would be premature at this point,” she added. After meeting with French experts and officials, she said the whale still has “the energy… to turn its head and respond to stimuli.” Although the rescuers tried to feed him herring and trout, the animal refused to eat them.
“Lack of appetite is definitely a symptom of something else… an illness. He is malnourished and this goes on for weeks or even months,” Elsmalali said. Another option being considered is to take him out of the water, give him vitamins, find out the cause of his illness, and take him out to sea to feed him.
