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A beluga whale accidentally trapped in France’s Seine river has died after authorities said it had to be euthanized Wednesday after being rescued from a waterway.
The whale has been stranded since last week after deviating from its normal path to the North Pole. Since Friday, conservationists have tried to feed a male marine mammal with fish, but the male refuses to eat.
As rescuers prepared to transfer the whale to a saltwater pool in Normandy, the dangerously skinny whale began to have trouble breathing. Experts have determined that euthanizing the creature is the most humane thing to do.
“While traveling, veterinarians noted a deterioration in its condition, particularly respiratory activity, and at the same time noticed that the animal was not breathing adequately,” said French wildlife expert Florence Olivet Courtois. “The animal’s suffering was so obvious that it was important to de-stress it, so it had to be euthanized.”
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According to the conservation group Sea Shepherd France, after the beluga whales were removed from the river, tests performed by a veterinarian showed no digestive activity.
Courtois said the whale experienced agony during the approximately 99-mile drive to the Normandy coast after being transferred to a refrigerated truck.
Rescue teams had previously stated that the whale was at risk of dying due to the stress associated with the move. was considered.
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“The decision to euthanize the beluga whale was made because it was too weak to be returned to water,” said Guillaume Lericole, deputy governor of Calvados, France.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.