Beluga lost in the Seine: the cetacean, too weak, was euthanized

On the morning of Wednesday August 10, a few people moved around a salt water basin in Ouistreham (Calvados), where the beluga had to be brought for treatment. The announcement of his death caused sadness and incomprehension. “We thought we had a good outcome”, laments a passerby. During its transfer from Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne (Eure), it was necessary to euthanize the cetacean. “During the trip, the veterinarians noted a deterioration in his condition, in particular his respiratory activities. We were able to see that (…) the animal was in anoxia, therefore insufficiently ventilated”explains Florence Ollivet-Courtois, veterinarian at Sdis 19.

An extraordinary rescue had been attempted all night. The beluga had been lifted out of the water. It took six hours of intervention. A dozen veterinarians were at his bedside. The animal presented some wounds, and a significant loss of weight. Care failed to keep alive the cetacean. He had been swimming in the Seine for ten days, far from the arctic waters, his natural environment.