The beluga spotted in the Seine last Tuesday was in a stationary state on Monday morning, we learned from the ocean defense NGO Sea Shepherd.
We do not observe "no deterioration in his condition. He remains alert but still does not eat", indicated to AFP the president of Sea Shepherd France, Lamya Essemlali.
The cetacean, used to cold waters and whose presence in this river is exceptional, is still in the lock of Saint-Pierre-la-Garenne, in the Eure.
The beluga is still not feeding (a priori) but it continues to be curious.
Around 4 am he rubbed himself for 30 minutes on the walls of the lock and got rid of the stains that had appeared on his back.
Antibiotics may also have helped.
pic.twitter.com/VIyZ9mWNN5
— Sea Shepherd France (@SeaShepherdFran) August 8, 2022
Several attempts to feed the animal, "very thin" according to the prefecture, have taken place in recent days but without success for the moment, day by day reducing its chances of survival.
In addition, a prolonged stay in the water of the lock, which is warm and stagnant compared to its usual aquatic environment, is detrimental to its state of health.
Among the conceivable hypotheses are an extraction or opening of the lock with the hope that he will return to the English Channel.
According to the Pelagis observatory, a specialist in marine mammals, this is the second beluga known in France after a fisherman from the Loire estuary had brought one up in his nets in 1948.
With AFP
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