France: the beluga lost in the Seine was taken out of the water
Veterinarians take care of the beluga which was stuck in the Seine near Notre Dame de la-Garenne, on the night of August 9 to 10, 2022. © JEAN-FRANCOIS MONIER/AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
The beluga, lost in the Seine for a week, was released on the night of Tuesday August 9 to Wednesday August 10, 2022 from the lock of Saint-Pierre-la Garenne (north-west of France).
This is the first stage of the "
non-standard
" operation to try to put it back at sea.
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Around 2 a.m. UT, after six hours of effort, the cetacean, weighing nearly 800 kg and whose
state of health was deemed "
alarming
"
, was lifted in a net towed by a crane and placed on a barge, where it was immediately taken care of by a dozen veterinarians dressed in white coveralls.
The beluga, an animal living in cold waters, whose presence in the Seine is exceptional, must then be placed in a refrigerated truck which will transport it out of the water, "
on straw or another element of comfort
", bound for the coast, said Isabelle Dorliat-Pouzet, secretary general of the prefecture of Eure (department where Saint-Pierre-la Garenne is located), before the start of the delicate operation.
A seawater basin, in a lock in the port of Ouistreham (northern France), was made available to receive the animal, which will remain there for three days, "
while we organize its repatriation in full sea and that we observe his state of health
", according to the sub-prefect.
A risky operation for the beluga
Spotted on August 2 in the river, the cetacean has been detained since Friday in the basin of a lock, located 70 km northwest of Paris.
The operation to bring it back to sea, if it is "
out of the ordinary
", is not without risk for the beluga, already weakened and sensitive to stress, recalled Isabelle Brasseur, of the Marineland marine zoo in Antibes.
"
It could be that he dies now, during the manipulation, during the journey or at point B
" in Ouistreham, she warned.
The 24 divers engaged and the rescuers handling the ropes around the basin had to try several times, between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. UT, to lure the animal into the nets and the structure capable of lifting it out of the water.
A handful of curious people remained on the bank all night to observe the operations.
►To listen also: Guest France - Beluga stuck in the Seine: "We continue the feeding attempts"
(with AFP)
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