• An autopsy and samples from the body of the animal were carried out on Tuesday by veterinarians and biologists and “it appears from the first results that the animal was thin, weakened, and that it had not fed for several weeks. ".

  • In good health, an orca weighs about four to five tons.

    The animal weighed only 1,700 kilos, for a length of five meters.

  • Placed under surveillance, the orca had been the subject last Saturday of a guidance attempt (an experimental device for the diffusion of sound stimuli under water and monitoring by drones) to redirect it towards the sea. In vain.

There was nothing to do.

But everything was done.

This is the meaning of the communication from the prefect of Seine-Maritime, Pierre-André Durand, who split a press release yesterday after the discovery of the lifeless body of an orca in the Seine on Monday.


He points to certain “inconsequential public statements” accusing the State of not having reacted earlier to the distress of the cetacean which wandered in the river for several days.

An autopsy and samples from the body of the animal were carried out on Tuesday by veterinarians and biologists and “it appears from the first results that the animal was thin, weakened, and that it had not fed for several weeks. before coming to the Seine, suggesting the presence of a pre-existing pathology ”, at its entry into the river, indicates the prefecture.

In this case, the animal suffered from mucormycosis, an infection caused by parasitic fungi which can embolize in the blood to reach the kidneys, lungs, heart and brain.

During the autopsy, the scientists found “remains of seals, including vibrissae and claws”, details

Paris Normandie

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In good health, an orca weighs about four to five tons.

The animal weighed only 1,700 kg, for a length of five meters, indicates the regional daily.

Quickly, an “invasive intervention” had been ruled out

The orca had been observed for the first time on May 16 in the marine environment at the level of the estuary near the Normandy bridge, before rushing into the river.

“On Wednesday May 25, on the basis of new images highlighting signs of degraded health”, many operational means had been put in place, insists the prefect.

And "a working group has been set up, bringing together university experts, and specialists from the associative or professional environment, in order to provide a scientific opinion and clarify the measures to be taken", he highlights.

Quickly, an “invasive intervention” (accompaniment of the animal by capture, net, towing or pushing the animal) had been ruled out, “likely to create more damage to this orca already weakened”.

The skeleton will be entrusted to the National Museum of Natural History in Paris.

Placed under surveillance, the killer whale had been the subject last Saturday of a guidance attempt (an experimental device for the diffusion of sound stimuli under water and monitoring by drones) to redirect it towards the sea. In vain.

The animal's state of health had become “critical” and it had not reacted “normally”.

The experts and the authorities ended up retaining euthanasia as the only possible solution.

They didn't have to resort to it, the orca having died before.


His skeleton will be entrusted to the Museum of Natural History in Paris.

The complete results of the autopsy will be made public after laboratory analysis.

Samples were sent to Brittany, Montpellier and Belgium to be studied and hope to learn more.

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