Photos: Ailing beluga put down in last-ditch French rescue bid

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Ouistreham, France: An ailing beluga whale that strayed into France's Seine river was put down by vets Wednesday during a last-ditch rescue attempt to keep the animal alive, local officials said. Image Credit: AFP

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The fate of the whale captured the hearts of people across the world since it was first spotted in the highly unusual habitat of the river that flows through Paris, far from its usual Arctic waters. Image Credit: AFP

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Rescuers had worked overnight to lift the male out of the Seine by crane for transfer to a saltwater pen, in a delicate, final effort to save the life of the ailing mammal, which was no longer eating. It was then driven at a painstakingly slow speed north to the Normandy port of Ouistreham, where vets hoped to release the animal into a habourside pen and then possibly into the wild. Image Credit: AFP

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But the experts unanimously decided after examining the beluga on arrival in Ouistreham that there was no other option than to put the male down, the local authority of the Calvados region said. Image Credit: AFP

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"Despite the technical and logistical efforts, the condition of the cetacean unfortunately deteriorated during the trip," it said. "Examinations showed that the beluga was in a state of great weakness and its respiratory activity failing. The decision was therefore taken collectively, with the veterinarians, to euthanize it," it added. Image Credit: AFP

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After nearly six hours of work by dozens of divers and rescuers, the 800-kilogramme (1,800-pound) cetacean had been lifted from the river by a net and crane at around 4:00 am (0200 GMT) and placed on a barge under the immediate care of a dozen veterinarians. Image Credit: AFP

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The 24 divers involved in the operation and the rescuers handling the ropes had to try several times to lure the animal into the nets to be lifted out of the water. Image Credit: AFP

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The beluga was then given a health check and driven to Ouistreham. "During the journey the vets noted a worsening of his health and in particular the breathing," said Florence Ollivet-Courtois, a vet for the local emergency services, in a video posted on social media. Image Credit: AFP

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"The animal was not getting enough air and suffering visibly. We therefore decided that it made no sense to set it free and proceeded to euthanasia." "The transfer was risky, but essential to give an otherwise doomed animal a chance," the Sea Shepherd NGO, which has been assisting in the rescue, said on Twitter. Image Credit: AFP

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"Following the deterioration of his condition, the vets took the decision to euthanize him. We are devastated by this tragic outcome that we knew was very likely," it said. Image Credit: AFP

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The four-metre (13-foot) whale was discovered more than a week ago heading towards Paris and was stranded about 130 kilometres (80 miles) inland from the English Channel at Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne in Normandy. Image Credit: AFP

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Since Friday, the animal's movement inland had been blocked by a lock some 70 kilometres northwest of Paris, and its health deteriorated after it refused to eat. Image Credit: AFP

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