Several specialized rescue teams are preparing for a delicate operation.

The beluga lost in the Seine, far from the arctic waters which constitute its usual habitat, will be moved on Tuesday August 9 to a saltwater basin near the sea, said the association for the protection of marine environments Sea Shepherd France.

The 800-kilo cetacean, which appears to be malnourished, was first spotted in the Seine on August 5.

Although there are risks associated with its transfer, Sea Shepherd, which is assisting in the rescue operation, said the animal could not stay in fresh water any longer.

The beluga in the Seine is stuck in a lock 70KM from Paris, it will not go closer to the capital.



The NGO @SeaShepherdFran is trying to feed the beluga which is currently refusing to eat, it is very thin.



Decision on the form of evacuation OP within 24/48H.

pic.twitter.com/FgPgHzvJUB

— Remy Buisine (@RemyBuisine) August 6, 2022

“Transferring it to a salt water basin will allow us to better monitor it and try to treat it,” explained Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France.

"We have to get him out of there"

According to the Marineland team in Antibes, in the Alpes Maritimes, who arrived on site Monday evening, the extraction of the cetacean promises to be an "out of the ordinary" operation because the banks of the Seine "are not accessible to vehicles" at this place and "everything must be carried by hand".

The beluga will be transported by road to an unspecified location.

For Isabelle Brasseur, one of the members of the Marineland rescue team, "the priority is to put it back in sea water".

The animal would be deposited for a few days in a seawater lock, the time to be treated, before being taken offshore to be released there.

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

"In any case, we have to get him out of there (...) We have to try to understand what he has", explained Isabelle Brasseur, about the animal, currently held in a lock on the Seine, in Saint-Pierre-La-Garenne (Eure).

"There may be internal damage that cannot be seen", although these are "extremely resistant" cetaceans, she said.

The beluga, which refused to feed on live squid and trout, has already been given vitamins and antibiotics and its condition has shown some signs of improvement.

With Reuters and AFP

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