French animal rights activists have prepared a delicate rescue operation for the beluga whale that was lost in the Seine. “We have an idea that might work,” said Isabelle Brasseur of the Marineland Zoo in Antibes, southern France, on Tuesday. “We will explain them to the people who will help us and we will continue to refine them.”
The beluga whale was spotted on the Seine for the first time on Tuesday of last week and is trapped in a lock in Saint-Pierre-La-Garenne, about 70 kilometers from Paris – 130 kilometers from the Seine estuary in the Channel Stain, since Friday. According to experts, the animal cannot survive for long in warm, fresh water. Beluga whales typically live in arctic waters off the coasts of Russia, Alaska and Canada.
sea water pool
The plan is to pull the four-meter-long, 800-pound marine mammal out of the river and transport it to a seawater tank to nourish it back to health and then bring it back to the sea. A big problem, however, is that the banks of the Seine at the lock are not accessible to vehicles, said Brasseur. So everything has to be done “by hand”.
The marine conservation organization Sea Shepherd has already asked for donations for the rescue operation. Among other things, ropes, hammocks and mattresses are needed. First, however, a veterinarian must verify that the weakened animal would survive transport. Among other things, he must examine the whale’s blood and breath. In recent days, several attempts to feed the emaciated animal have been unsuccessful. According to experts, your lack of appetite could be a sign of illness.
According to experts, this is the second time that a beluga whale has been lost in France. The first time a fisherman saw a whale in their nets in the Loire estuary was in 1948.