His state of health is worrying.
The beluga, stuck in the Seine for a week, was able to get out of the river alive, very early this morning, after a rescue operation lasting several hours.
But the health examinations carried out immediately after its extraction - blood test, skin examination and ultrasound, in particular - are not particularly reassuring.
According to Sea Shepherd France, the cetacean, which is a male, “no longer has any digestive activity”.
This is the reason why he has “not eaten” for several days.
But "we don't know why his digestion stopped," says Lamya Essemlali, president of Sea Shepherd France.
Mob.
of 80 people from state services, @sdis27, associations, @CroixRouge, scientists and veterinarians for an extraordinary operation to extract #beluga in the Seine.
Direction #Ouistreham in the lock made available by Ports de Normandie and the @RegionNormandie.
pic.twitter.com/h55VObcnDV
– Prefect of Eure (@Prefet27) August 10, 2022
For the time being, he has received "an infusion to rehydrate him" and, in the coming days, "the veterinarians will try to stimulate digestion" and then feed him, she continues.
"This will maximize your chances of survival at sea."
Very difficult to make a prediction
"Veterinarians are not necessarily optimistic about the health of the beluga," reported Isabelle Dorliat-Pouzet, general secretary of the Eure prefecture, to BFMTV.
“He is terribly thin and that does not bode well for his life expectancy in the medium term”, she detailed, specifying also, a little earlier, that he presented “a few wounds”.
VIDEO.
The first images of the beluga lost in the Seine, taken out of the water after 6 hours of effort
Even if "his condition is stable", it is "very difficult to make a prognosis", let us know for his part the president of Sea Shepherd France.
"Each step is a challenge, a risk and at the same time we are forced to move forward because waiting is like condemning him to death", details Lamya Essemlali.
On the good news side, the beluga has no infectious disease.
"It's an animal that resists and is alive," noted the sub-prefect of Évreux who attended the extraction.
The animal is now on its way to Ouistreham (Calvados), aboard a refrigerated truck.
"We considered that it was possible to transfer him" in view of his state of health, commented Isabelle Dorliat-Pouzet on BFMTV.
"He is constantly moistened with towels and water, and is surrounded by veterinarians and trainers", explains the president of Sea Shepherd France, who specifies that the cetacean can physiologically support this journey outside the water.
In Ouistreham, the beluga will be placed in a seawater lock "made available" by the Normandy region, the Eure prefecture said on Wednesday morning.
He will stay there for a few days under the watchful eyes of veterinarians before being released into the open sea.
