Fourth beluga rescued from Marineland dies after transfer to new aquarium
· Toronto Sun
See more Toronto Sun on Google — save as a Preferred Source
Visit amunra-online.pl for more information.
A fourth beluga whale has sadly died since being rescued from Marineland this summer.
And a Toronto-based animal rights organization says the deaths are the result of the rushed process and lack of government oversight involved in moving the whales from the shuttered theme park in Niagara Falls.
The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago announced Monday that Osiris, a 26-year-old female beluga who arrived in July, had died after her health took a turn for the worse earlier in the day.
Not a consistent eater upon arrival
The aquarium said that when Osiris arrived, she was not eating as consistently as the other whales, making it more challenging to ensure she received proper daily nutrition.
“From the time she arrived, Osiris remained a whale of clinical concern for our veterinary and animal care teams,” Shedd Aquarium said in a statement Monday evening.
“Each rescued beluga came to Shedd with a distinct life history and health needs that could not be fully understood before their arrival. Osiris experienced periods of meaningful progress, both nutritionally and socially, but her overall condition remained closely monitored.”
According to the aquarium, the beluga’s appetite improved after she received fluids, medication and other supportive care. Eventually, she began to eat more consistently.
“We also saw her commanding personality emerge and become more engaged with the other rescued whales,” the aquarium said.
Changed behaviour and respiratory patterns
While those were encouraging signs, animal caretakers noticed changes to her behaviour and respiratory patterns and moved her to Shedd’s medical habitat, where she could be closely monitored and provided care if needed.
However, Osiris’ condition declined rapidly and she passed away despite lifesaving efforts from veterinary and care teams.
“What contributed to her passing is not yet known,” aquarium officials said. “Like many species, belugas can mask discomfort or underlying concerns that are not immediately visible. A full necropsy will be conducted, and we continue to await results from analyses related to our previous losses. We will share what we learn when those findings are confirmed.”
Last week, 19-year-old beluga Jelly Bean died after being transferred to the Oceanografic Valencia aquarium in Spain.
Two other belugas, 20-year-old Rain and 23-year-old Peekachu , also died at the Shedd Aquarium in recent weeks.
Rushed transfer process
Animal Justice, a Toronto-based legal non-profit, called Osiris’ death “deeply saddening news” while also calling out the federal and provincial governments over what it says was the rushed transfer process involving Marineland’s 30 belugas and four dolphins.
“The narrative that there was no choice but to move these sensitive, highly intelligent animals within an irresponsibly short timeline is false,” Camille Labchuk, executive director of Animal Justice, said in a statement.
The animal welfare group said Marineland, as well as Ottawa and Queen’s Park, had ample proof that the transfer of the last belugas from the theme park would result in deaths.
They pointed to five beluga whales — Jetta, Havana, Kharabali, Havok and Sahara — who were transferred from Marineland to Mystic Aquarium in Connecticut in May 2021. Three of the belugas would pass away by the end of 2023, according to the Whale Sanctuary Project .
Havok died of a pre-existing “gastrointestinal condition” three months after the move. Havana passed away nine months after her arrival, while Kharabali survived until December 2023.
“Rather than dealing with the complexities of a more patient, truly welfare-centred approach to relocating its whales, Marineland chose to wash its hands of its responsibility to them, potentially off-shoring a mass killing in the process,” Labchuk said.
“Our government failed to step up to protect the animals when they needed it most.”
Marineland’s owners have not publicly commented on any of the beluga deaths since the whales were transferred out of the country this summer. The theme park closed its doors to the public in the fall of 2024.