Saint-Pierre-La-Garenne, France — An ailing Beluga whale that strayed into France’s River Seine has died during a last-ditch rescue attempt, as experts decided to put the animal down to prevent further suffering, local officials said Wednesday.
The fate of the animal has captured the hearts of people across the world since it was first spotted in the highly unusual habitat of the river that flows through Paris, far from its usual Arctic waters.
Rescuers had overnight winched the male out of the River Seine for transfer to a saltwater pen, in a delicate final effort to save the life of the ailing mammal, which was no longer eating.
“Despite an unprecedented rescue operation, we must announce with sadness that the cetacean has died,” the authorities in the Normandy region of Calvados tweeted, adding that the whale had to be put down during transport.